Host: Hello and welcome back to global connections at USF. Today, we're diving into an immersive and hands-on experience when it comes to going global and truly being international. USF offers a wide array of opportunities to enhance your education on a global scale through a variety of resources, experiences and programs at the Center for Global Education (CGE). 

Today, we have Paulina Belloso, a dedicated study abroad advisor at CGE. Paulina will walk us through the different programs that the university offers, how they align with the USF submission of fostering global citizenship and what it takes to make the most of studying abroad. 

We'll also be joined with students at the Welcome Back Global Scholars Event to share their most favorite thing from studying abroad along with Shennel Henries and Rebecca Little sharing more in depth experiences from their travels. 
Shennel has participated in research focused study abroad and she's here to share her personal experiences, challenges and the long lasting impact it's had on her academic and career goals. 
Rebecca Little, a computer science major who will add her unique perspectives on how studying abroad has shaped her approach to technology and research in a global context. 
And I'm excited to dive into this conversation with you, Paulina. Let's start. Do you mind introducing yourself to us? Tell us a little bit about what you do and your role at the Center for Global Education. 

Paulina: Hi, Rashi. Thank you so much for having me. And it's so nice to get the opportunity to represent the Center for Global Education. I think this podcast is such a good idea. And so we're really excited to have the opportunity to be here. 

So, yeah, my name is Paulina Belo. So I'm the study abroad advisor here at USF. I've been here for about two years now. I actually started as a grad student. And I began working with our now Vice Provost of International Initiatives. And from there, I moved on to the Center for Global Education. I guess a little bit about me is that I studied abroad as an undergraduate student. And that experience just really kind of marked my life. And so I knew after I graduated with my undergraduate degree that I wanted to kind of inspire students to have the experience that I was able to have. I am a first generation student as well. And that process of studying abroad was so similar to the difficult process of applying to college. And So I really wanted to be able to support students in the process and, and now that's really what I get to do. 
So as a study abroad advisor, really my role is to help prepare and support students in taking the opportunities USF offers. And that's a ton of opportunities that students have to study abroad. And as well as advising, you know, before they choose a program, also, all the things that come after studying abroad helping people kind of re-enter us f after they come back and just giving students the opportunity to talk about their, their transformative experiences that they have when they're abroad. 

Host: That's lovely. Welcome. And it's so interesting that you mentioned, your experience informs so much of the work you did from studying abroad to being now a study abroad advisor. Like I feel the exact same way being an international student and then working with international students, I can totally relate to how that curve kind of comes together Now that you're here. So thank you and welcome. 

Before we get into the study abroad program, can you tell us a little bit about the Center for Global Education and the different types of work that you and your colleagues do? 

Paulina: Yeah. So the Center for Global Education, we develop academic and immersion programs throughout the world to foster a global perspective at USF and in USF’s students. And so in that, we're really trying to make sure we have a lot of offerings for students and, and also kind of for faculty to challenge and explore different cultures and values around the world. We want to make sure we're hitting on that, that mission USF has of building global leaders. And, and what, you know, better way to become a global leader than going around the globe and learning from others. So that's really what we try to do here at CGE. 

So, USF students have the opportunity to, to study abroad for a semester, they can go abroad for a full year, a summer or during inter-session, there's over like 80 programs for students to choose from. So, like on my end, I guess there's a lot of work on educating the USF community and students on all of the different options that they have. 

But some other things that we do. So those immersions are my colleagues who support the global immersions and those are faculty-led programs during intersession, spring break and summer that are open to undergraduate and graduate students. So those are really nice opportunities for students who maybe, you know, can't go abroad for a full semester or like you did go for a whole semester and you just want to get out even more and go with a cohort of USF students as well. And so we support that too. 

And some other work that my colleagues do is supporting direct exchange programs.And in those cases, we receive students from partner universities around the world for a semester or two and you know, try to show them the, the best of San Francisco and the best of us. And it's really nice to have these exchange programs because then we also send us f students to those schools. So getting that interaction ahead of time here in San Francisco is a really good kind of community building and again, kind of helping us f students to step outside of their comfort zone and just learn about the world and through others. 

Host: Yeah, it seems like there's a wide variety of opportunities for students to try and engage with some of these programs, both with students that are coming here from abroad and also for them to travel abroad and really have hands-on global experience. 

So today, we're also speaking with Rebecca and Shennel at the Welcome Back Global Scholars Event. This event, you've specifically designed for returnee students to give you feedback on how the trip went, how they can continue building connections with the cohort that they traveled with and also hear from other students that went elsewhere. It seems like your work does not end when students leave to go study abroad, you continue to provide support when they're traveling and when they're back. Do you mind speaking a little more to this? 

Paulina: Yeah. Yeah. So like you said, the work definitely doesn't end after we send the students abroad, there's definitely a lot of work that goes into just going abroad. I will say that the preparations can be really the first part of the journey to help students through and like choosing where to go, right? What classes to take? Which advisor you need to talk to get classes pre-approved. There are a lot of things that go into even just going abroad. 

But then when you come back. Coming back is kind of such a surreal experience because maybe your friends have not had the experience or your friends and family have not had the experience before. So it's hard to talk about with others who don't share that. And so what we try to do for students when they're returning is just to have opportunities for them to, to talk to each other, right? For students to talk to other people who studied abroad, share your experiences with others in a community that you know, people understand. 

There's this thing called culture shock and then there's also reverse culture shock. So culture shock is what happens when you first go into a new culture. And, and that's kind of easier I think for students to understand and, and they kind of know and prepared to feel that culture shock when they first arrive in their new, you know, host country. But there's, you know, the reverse culture shock is something that is hard to understand and navigate. With reverse culture shock, it's like when you go abroad, you develop this new sense of self. And coming back, you feel like a whole new person, but maybe everything has stayed the same. And so you have to kind of relearn how to be part of the community that you are already a part of. And you've grown and in different ways and maybe the people around you, you know, seemingly haven't or just don't really understand how you're different. 

And so to kind of help with that reverse culture shock, We have things like the returnee event again, just giving students the opportunity to talk to each other. And also students have the opportunity to become ambassadors for their study abroad programs. And so that way they can talk to interested students about their experience and just talk to us about how their experience was all the good and all the bad that that might have. Well, that is maybe not the best challenge that you experience just by being in a new place. 

And then something else for returning students is a resume workshop, excuse me. So, when you go abroad, a lot of the skills that you gain, you can use to, to talk about in your resume. And so I work with students to help them put those skills onto their resumes when they're abroad. Also with the resumes, in some of our study abroad programs, students have the option of completing an internship while they're abroad. And so it's important that they add the internship experience into their resume.

Host: For our international students, they're probably thinking I'm already studying abroad, I've traveled here from my home country. Why would I go through this process again and move myself to a whole different country to experience a different type of study abroad experience? 
What do you say to those students? 

Paulina: Yeah, that's a great question. And I will say we do have international students who do go abroad. What's nice is that through USF, our semester long programs are sponsored. And so what that means is that you're remaining a USF student. So, you know, it doesn't impact your student visa, you just get the travel signature that you normally get. So that process is, you know, pretty is really nice. 

And then, you know, like you said, you know, as an international international student, you have gone through the process of, of having to make new friends and, you know, having to put yourself out there and, and learn a whole new culture. And so why, why do it again? 

What I would say is I think we all know the world is, you know, kind of more interconnected than ever. No matter your major, you know, no matter your area of study, you're gonna meet people from all over the world. Companies are moving all around the world as well, so it's not certain that you're always going to be in North America or even maybe you're going back to your home country. And so getting to, to go abroad for a semester or even a summer or something, is gonna make sure that you expand your global knowledge in your area of study. All jobs again, all jobs are, are global now. And so it's important to learn from a diversity of voices. I think it is really big and, and kind of not limiting your perspective to just the North American perspective. Because being in North America, we can definitely get kind of centered into what we know and what's best here. But what's best here is not always the best around the world and being able to then bring what you have already from your home country, right? What you're bringing to the US, but also you're going abroad for a semester or a summer or however long, you're gonna learn all new things there as well, that perspective and then you're gonna bring it back to USF again. So bringing us all together, you're just gonna be that more well rounded than others. 

And so it's really valuable and something else is maybe you're here and you're working on a language or you're really interested in a different culture. What better way to do it than abroad, right? Living in that culture, hearing the language all of the time. And that's actually a good time to mention that our most popular study abroad destination is Spain. And a big part of that is that language immersion. You're lucky that you're, you know, we're lucky that we do still have Spanish offered at USF. So you can kind of start it at USF and then really perfect your proficiency abroad, maybe in Spain or Latin America. 

Host: Awesome. You've convinced me. So if I wanna go to Spain next semester, where do I begin? What's my first step? Do I schedule an advising appointment with you? Do I go over to your office? Do you mind telling us where that's at and where do I begin? 
Paulina: Yeah. So if you do wanna go, whether that's a semester or like, you just wanna go over the summer or maybe you're interested in one of those short term faculty immersions. 
The best place will be to come to our office. We are in Lone Mountain 340. So third floor Lone Mountain. You can come into the office, our front office staff is very friendly. Come say hi. Let us know what you're interested in and they can help you book an appointment with me or with another study abroad advisor. 

Something else is maybe like you're just in Lone Mountain on a Wednesday. Wednesdays are drop-in hours. So what that means is that you don't need an appointment to talk to a study abroad advisor. So Low Mountain on a Wednesday, you can just drop in. Otherwise, you do want to start by making an appointment. 

Host: Awesome. Thank you so much. It was so lovely talking to you and hearing about these lovely trips that all of our students can try and go on and immerse themselves in a truly global experience while studying here at USF. Thank you for spending your time and talking to me about them. 

Paulina: Thank you so much, Rashi. 

Host: Thank you and now switching over to a conversation with lovely students joining us from the Welcome Back Global Scholars Event. We have first with us, Rebecca. Hello and welcome, Rebecca. Please introduce yourself. Tell us what you're studying and where did you travel to for your study abroad experience? 

Rebecca: Hi, I'm Rebecca. I'm a computer science major. And last spring I studied in Dublin, Ireland. Very beautiful, very wonderful. And I actually work at ISSS so I may have seen you guys around, you may have seen me at the front desk before. 

Host: Lovely. And on your experience with working with international students at ISSS and now you yourself being sort of like being an international student in Dublin, did that play a role in how you experience this place and how it's been for you being abroad? 

Rebecca: Yeah, I definitely feel like I have a greater appreciation for just how much is different when you go abroad. Like, you know, the place will be different, the customs will be different, but there's little things. Like for example, I would go grocery shopping and I would have no idea what to get to last, you know, what brands are trustable and it was just something I really didn't expect going in to struggle with I guess. 

Host: Yeah, so now you kind of have a greater not respect for a better idea of what the international students are going through when they stop by the front desk and say hi and have questions about their documents or where the closest grocery store is and such. So I'm glad you got to experience that. 

So, CS and math are not synonymous with Dublin. Do you mind telling us some of the factors that you considered while choosing to study abroad in Ireland? 

Rebecca: Yeah, I know Ireland may not be the most, you know, popular choice study abroad destination wise. As a CS major, I wasn't actually allowed to take computer science classes while I went abroad. So I was like, you know, I could basically pick anywhere, you know, the program didn't need to have computer science and I'd visited Ireland before and I have loved it and this may be a little bit embarrassing, but I wanted to go someplace where I didn't have to take a language class. I'd already started on that pathway at USF and I didn't want to switch but yeah, that's mainly why. 

Host: Yeah, I think that's an important factor to keep in mind, especially when there's already so many different things that you're going to have to adjust to language being another barrier that might make your experience a little bit more difficult. So I'm glad that you mentioned that and you were mindful of the language barrier when you chose your study abroad destination. 
And with that in mind, what's been your biggest challenge through this entire experience? This could be something before you left during or maybe after. 

Rebecca: Yeah, one of the main things I didn't think I would experience was reverse culture shock. But coming back to the US and especially coming back to being a full time student at USF has been more difficult than I thought it would be. For me, you know, I just took core classes while I was abroad and they were very fun and not as rigorous. Now I'm having a bit of a hard semester, class wise and it's definitely an adjustment. 

Host: Definitely. Thank you so much for sharing that and keeping that in mind. If there was one piece of advice you'd like to give other students maybe from your field of study or just generally in a STEM major. If they're debating to study abroad, what would that be? 
Rebecca: I would say two things. First, definitely have everything sorted before you go. It's hard to leave your major, especially for a semester and come back and jump back into it. So make sure, you know, you can still graduate on time because that was a concern for me for a little bit. So definitely be prepared class wise and then also be prepared for things to be a little bit hard when you come back as well. 

Host: Ok. And to switch it up maybe to close us out, what's been your one most favorite thing from Dublin? 

Rebecca: So I'm from Southern California and I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with it, but it's pretty dry there. I think it's classified as a desert. And Dublin was probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. And I was there during the spring so I saw the blooms and it was, it really was surreal to just be in a place. And I was like, wow, you live, you guys live here, you get to see this all the time and I go home and you know, southern California is great, but it's not known for its, I don't know, lushness. 

Host: That's awesome. I'm glad that you got to experience the Northern European weather. It was so nice speaking to you, Rebecca. Thank you so much. And I hope you enjoy the rest of this event today. 

Rebecca: Thank you, Rashi. 

Host: All right. We also have Shennel with us. Hello and welcome. Please introduce yourself to our listeners, your field of study and where you're from. 

Shennel: Hello, everyone. It is an honor to be here. My name is Shennel Henries. I'm originally from Liberia. I study in the MAIS program which is like international studies and my focus I'm still deciding where to go, but it's usually from my previous year is global politics and society. So I'm just advancing on it and my research is on migration. 

Host: Awesome. Thank you. So the first question that comes to mind is as an international student, some might think that you're already studying abroad here in the US. So what motivated you to conduct your research in a different country or what motivated you to try and expand that like international experience beyond just the US? 

Shennel: That's a great question. Because I've gotten it like a lot of times and yes, I'm already studying abroad, but I've always wanted to expand my internet to be here where I'm from or where I'm going. Because my field of study is like a vast field just like here, international studies. But I think the main thing that came to mind or just like birth, was the fact that when I was an undergraduate, I studied at the University of San Francisco for my undergraduate. And I studied abroad during my junior year, first semester for 2022. 

And I went to Florence and it was like a great experience and just like existing in that time frame and just like knowing that like, there are different, like ideology or just like the different concept of culture and values that people had. I thought that it would be great. 
Host: Also, thank you for sharing that. And you mentioned that your motivation for research stemmed from your time in Florence. Can you elaborate on how those early observations about migration and cultural differences shaped your research focus in the Mediterranean?

Shennel: First off, when I was moving to the US, I knew that I was going to become like a migrant, even though it was like a different position or different opportunity that I was in, especially higher education. 

And I know that moving to Florence Italy, it was going to be different because you find everywhere is different but it was just like a different shock for me. Even though they have the migration in the US and migration where I'm from, but it was just a different bubble and moving the day to Florence, Italy. What I noticed the first thing was I already know this but I'm a black African female which is noticeable everywhere I go. But moving to study abroad, I noticed there were a lot of African migrants. First of all, I was struck by all the different cultures. First, I was so excited. I'm like, oh my God, there's like a lot of black people here first. But with those migrants or those different people that I met, I also found out there's different struggles, different experiences of how they even got there. 

And this one opportunity we had, I always used to go to English for Pastors. It's like a program in my research where we teach English to Italian and they teach Italian. Most of our conversations were embedded in like where I'm from, where we were like, what is happening? How places that we are from are kind of different. Through that opportunity, we had to go to another migrant center where this center helps people with housing or help them with legal papers. And it just makes me realize that even though I'm like a migrant in a different situation and how people's situations differ. 

And mostly when we hear about migration with Europe being one of the biggest centers, especially between the Mediterranean, you notice that everything is mostly on the surface. We only hear what the media wants us to hear or depending where we find ourselves, we don't even hear about certain places. So that was one thing. And being like an African, the treatment I had was a great time. But I also noticed that when people thought that I was from the US, the treatment that I got was super different when they thought that I was like, I'm African and when they hear my accent, the first thing, the connotation behind it is that there's a lot of things people think of as soon as they see African migrants, especially in places that the flow of Africans are a lot and just like having those experiences I was like, this is something that I need to delve deeper in because I don't really know all like about it. 

I know my experiences but everyone is different and just like, it was like a tie from where I'm from. I'm seeing people that I know talking with these people. And what this research has done for me is to give me a clear picture on migration as a whole, the policies that like the challenges that affect the migrants experience and even if they are, why they are going in certain places and when they go certain places, what become of them. 

Host: Yeah, excellent. Thank you so much for sharing. I think you captured a big part of the essence of studying abroad, which is you really immerse yourself in the experience of what it is you are studying and it seemed like you got that first hand while you were in Europe and you were able to compare like some of those experiences of migrants there versus here and then interlink your identity and how people perceive you. Especially not only the way you look or the way you sound, but where you're from, there's a different connotation when you say like, oh, you know, I am from an African country versus I'm coming here from the US or North America. So thank you so much for sharing that. 

So what has been your most memorable experience while you were out there? 

Shennel: There have been a lot of memorable experiences that I have just like to immerse myself in different cultures because it's just kind of good to leave your bubbles that you were in. 
And it was just one thing in my research that I did in the summer that I found very enlightening about the people that I connected with mostly was the nonprofit that I got the opportunity to meet. And most of these people, the two organizations that I went to are all females and mostly females dominated. And the people that I interviewed were all women and seeing them love the work that they do and just talk about the experiences, the good work that they were doing for people. It was just so refreshing to see that there are people out there who are helping others or just standing for a true cause. 

And it's just navigating and most of my research because it was summer and all of the people I couldn't meet individual migrants. And even if I could meet them, the trauma or the things that some of these people go through because most of them came to the Mediterranean, some choose smugglers to pass to different countries. You cannot just immediately go for a few days and try to ask them certain questions. 

 So most of my research was based on observation and just seeing how these people too are human and learning about their lives before they moved to Europe. And most of them, some of them were like doctors, some of them had a career. They too are humans and they have their family and just like getting to meet with them and every time that, like most often when I come across, like Africans, the first thing they would be like my African sister, like without even talking to me, they know like right away where I'm from and just like to see how like it was and like pleasing and just like learning over all, like the structures that are surrounded in something bigger than what I'm usually used to or what I'm what I usually learn just in class. 

So it was pretty nice to go outside of my comfort zone. But at the same time learn from different perspectives and get to meet these people, like one of the journalists that I met, she had been publishing a lot of work. And then just meeting with her was like an honor and to go to the center and just meet other people was pretty good. I had to travel a lot from places. I was in Milan and I had to go to Florence and other places and just go around communities that migrants are and I feel like I'm super proud. I know it's weird to say, but like, just to be in a space with different people with different intellects, different experiences. 

Host: Yeah, of course. And it's a lovely experience. I'm glad you get to be proud of it. It's something to be proud of. And I also like when you said that you got to practice a little bit of like humanizing research when you're speaking with the women that you did in practice versus just learning about it in the classroom and be like, oh, this is how you do it versus when you're out there, you realize like, OK, these women have gone through these experiences of migrating to this country. You can't just jump in and be like, tell me everything about your life story because that's very insensitive. So, I'm really happy for you to have gone through this experience. 

So one final question, if there was a piece of advice that you could give to the students that are considering studying abroad or planning their trip, what would it be? 

Shennel: I would say that using your previous network that you have, first of all, building a community is something powerful. Most of the people that I reached out to were people that I already like that I got in contact with when I was doing my first study abroad. I reached out to them and they were able to connect me with those people. 

And then when I came back to the US, it was just like getting connected to my professors. Most of them are from Europe or they have taught in Europe or they study abroad in Europe. And it's just like keeping that connection was the key. And just pay attention to the people that you meet because one person that was really pivotal to mine, like who pushed me, he's like my classmate and he's in the migration studies. 

And for my undergraduate honor thesis, my thesis topic was based on something that I have to talk about the differences on the African and African Americans. And him being like an African, he had worked in Europe and he's just like his insight was something that structured my research, like all of the things because he worked in the law portion when he was in Europe and just like his experiences working with migrants and how people reacted or like the action that he got while working. So that was the key, keep in touch with your connections or just build community if you don't have it because they will be out there. 

Another advice would be open minded. We all come with embedded cultures and embedded beliefs, like values and just like understanding of things in general or how the world works. What happened here, for example, in San Francisco, you wouldn't compare it to everything that happens in New York. So just take that in mind and when you're going, go with an open mind and it's just like open up to like other things that you can learn if there's no way you can have. This is the only way for you to have like what you get, do not impose too much on what your experience, what you would be learning is when you go open minded. So those are the two main plans that I would say. 

But overall, it was great, study abroad in general is just so nice. You get to meet different people from different places and going to do something like that might impact a whole community is even more rewarding. So just take pride in what you are doing and to like, make it intentional and be passionate about whatever you are going for. 

Host: Lovely. Thank you so much for joining us today and spending your time talking to me and now you can go enjoy the event. 

Shennel: Thank you. It was like a pleasure. Thank you for having me. Thank you. 
Host: And to wrap up this podcast, we're going to have a quick fire share from students at the Welcome Back Global Scholars Event. 

Sharing with us what's been their one most favorite thing from studying abroad? So, let's hear from them. 

Delaney: I'm Delaney. I'm a fourth year design major. And last fall I had the opportunity to go to Denmark and study abroad there. 

Host: And what's been your one most favorite thing about studying abroad? 

Delaney: I think the people that I met from different US schools were my favorite part of studying abroad. A lot of them I've kept in touch with and we have still got to hang out even though it's been a year now since we went abroad. So the connections I've made definitely made an impact on me the most. 

Annalise: Hi, my name is Annalise Chain. I am an international studies major at University of San Francisco and I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Host: Lovely. And what's been your most favorite thing from studying abroad? 

Annalise: I was able to go on a lot of trips around the country and that really made my experience and the one that sticks out from them all is I was, I went to Patagonia with one of my friends who I met in Argentina. She's from France and we hiked Cala Fate and I then saw that the glacier hiked up to the peak and it was like this massive journey, but it was so beautiful and it is like one of the highlights of my life. 

Host: Lovely. That sounds beautiful. Thank you. 
Peter: I'm Peter. 

Doreen: I'm Doreen.

Host: Hi Peter. What did you study? And where did you study abroad? 

Peter: I studied business marketing in Paris. 

Doreen: I studied philosophy and international studies in Paris as well. 

Host: And what's been your one most favorite thing about studying abroad in Paris? 

Peter: I loved to like discovering new pockets of the city. 

Doreen: I really enjoyed people watching at a cafe with my friends. 

Esther: Hi, I'm Esther. I'm a senior psychology major here at USF. I studied abroad in London, England on an internship program. And I would say my favorite thing is that you would never be bored in London. There was always something to do and the coffee and the pastries were to die for. 

Host: Lovely. Thank you. And we also have..

Maya: I'm Maya, I'm a senior kinesiology major. I studied abroad in Madrid Spain and my favorite thing was exploring Madrid but all of Spain and everything besides just the tourist traps. 

Host: And that brings us to a wrap. Thank you to Paulina, Shennel, and Rebecca for sharing their invaluable insights and experiences with us today. And to all the students at the Welcome Back Global Scholars Event that stopped by. It's clear that USF’s Center for Global Education offers opportunities that truly shape both personal and academic journeys. So whether you are thinking about studying abroad and conducting research internationally or exploring various programs through the Center for Global Education, there are so many ways to broaden your horizons and foster that global citizenship. Check out the resources that we mentioned in this episode including the ISSS and Center for Global Education instagrams and the CGE webpages for more information on how to get involved. We hoped that we inspired you to get involved and embraced the global opportunities right here at USF. Until next time.