DeKALB – NIU held its 32nd annual Study Abroad Fair, which gave students the opportunity to learn information about how to study abroad and scholarship opportunities for studying abroad.
The fair occurred from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center.
Lauren Mock, director of Study Abroad, discussed the study abroad program and what it has to offer.
“We actually have over 300 individual study abroad programs that students could participate in. There are over 80 countries within that portfolio program,” Mock said. “You are able to participate in a semester-long program, but the majority of NIU students study abroad over summer, and we also have winter break and spring break options. If you are eligible for financial aid, you can use your financial aid package when you study abroad, and we do have scholarships and grants available.”
Juliana Martinez, a first-year mechanical engineering major, explained why she decided to attend the Study Abroad Fair.
“It’s a good resource, and you know they’re available to us here, and (if) you definitely speak other languages, it’s a good opportunity to go out there, or visit different countries that you know,” Martinez said.
Adrian Hernandez, a junior business administration major, volunteered for the event and talked about his experience studying abroad.
“Had an awesome experience. I’m just here to inject that motivation into other students,” Hernandez said. ”I went to Europe. I flew with one of these programs that I hear right now called International Business seminars. I was able to go to six countries in 23 days, which was a pretty good experience. The countries were Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and England, and I got to learn a lot.”
Hernandez encourages students to study abroad and mentioned the opportunities available for those interested.
“A lot of the main issue is not having the money for it. And I’m kind of here to tell everyone that there is, there are opportunities, there are scholarships,” Hernandez said. “Personally for me, I got like, $3,000-$4,000 in scholarships. I’m just here to let everyone know, don’t let that be a barrier. You know, you learn a lot, especially now in college, while we’re still young, it’s a good opportunity to try new things.”
For more information on the study abroad program you can visit the Study Abroad website.
