In the Fall of 2021, Simpson College brought back the Study Abroad program after a year-long pause due to COVID-19.

Students that were away for study abroad in early 2020 were brought back home. Due to closed airlines in and out of the country, some students were temporarily stuck in foreign areas.

With the return of Study Abroad options, COVID-19 is still a concern. The new Director of Off-Campus Programs, Matthew Kaye, reassures the campus that the first priority is student safety and health.

Some students are ready to take the bull by the horns.

“I feel like that if you’re [going to] do it you just [kind of] have to do it,” first-year student Clarke Latchman said.

Others are taking every detail into consideration.

“I would say depending on how the country is handling it [COVID-19] I would see some concerns; however, I am fully vaccinated so I am not too worried, myself,” first-year student Bodhi Mains said.

Wednesday, Sept. 22 Simpson held the Study Abroad Fair in the Great Hall.

The fair provides students with the chance to learn about various study abroad opportunities and scholarships. The professors leading the various travel courses were there to answer any questions prospecting students had.

“I am very excited for study abroad and I think all students should try to take advantage of the financial aid and scholarship opportunities that exist,” Assistant Professor of Political Science Adrienne Gathman said, “because it’s in a lot of ways a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

There are financial aid and scholarship opportunities such as the Gillman Award and Walt Scholarship for study abroad and May term travels.

 “Scholarship funding for either the Gillman Award or the Walt scholarship range from a few hundred dollars to $6,500,” Kaye said.

May Term Study Abroad is a three-week period for intensive study on a topic or research project. Simpson College encourages success without boundaries.

“Italy is so different [from] the US in how they run their businesses,” first-year student Madison Wiertzema said. “They provide a higher wage to their workers so their standard of living is a lot different [and] I’d like to see [that] first-hand.”

Many employers today are looking for people that have a global understanding and experience with other cultures. Not only does study abroad encourage appreciation of different cultures but it pushes students to step out of their comfort zones.

There are nine options for different majors/minors. This year’s options range from Europe: A Photographic Tour of Ireland to Morocco, Africa: The Legacy of Colonialism.

Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Adjunct Instructor of graphic design Luke Behaunek discusses what students can look forward to on the Photographic Tour experience. “We will be spending some time in both Italy and Spain. My goals would be to have the students really experience the important aspects of both their culture and elements of their country through a photographic perspective.”

For further information, contact the Director of Off-Campus Programs Mathew Kaye.