This semester is the first time students will be studying abroad since the pandemic hit.
Students learned of opportunities to study abroad and how to apply to different programs during the Study Abroad Fair on Sept 15 in the Arnow Campus Center.
Lasell offers 60 study abroad programs in over 30 different countries.
Junior global studies major Sarah Webb said she is looking forward to her trip to Meknes, Morocco this spring.
“I am excited to see somewhere new, most people tend to go into Europe so I wanted to go somewhere different and the culture is completely different compared to what I have experienced,” Webb said.
Although the traditional study abroad experience typically lasts for an entire semester, Lasell is also offering other programs for students looking to go on shorter trips abroad.
Senior exercise science major Dalton Brown is one of eight students going to Ireland in November through his Global Engagement Through Sport and Health Fitness class, chaperoned by Dean of Health Sciences Cristina Haverty and Professor Ron Laham.
This opportunity is available to the class because of Lasell’s connections with Belfast through the Friendship Four Hockey Tournament. The exercise science and athletic training majors going on this trip will have the ability to network and learn about their prospective field during the tournament.
This trip will be Brown’s first time traveling outside of the country.
“I am very eager to get a new perspective on the world and what it has to offer,” Brown said. “But I’m also very excited to travel abroad with my peers and the memories we will create together.”
Director of International Student Services and Study Abroad Maria Adkins is looking forward to the opportunity to guide prospective applicants through this new process. is excited to help students with the application process.
“I don't want anyone to be scared of the process,” Adkins said. “I think the biggest hurdle is that you have to be organized, you can't wait until the last second to apply because you want to run things by your academic advisor and you come to see me with questions.”
The process to apply includes students filling out an application, then meeting with their academic advisor to plan courses, and then applying to the school abroad.
Adkins said that almost everything regarding the trips has returned to their pre-pandemic ways, however, despite making its return, the study abroad program is still facing struggles.
Because no students have traveled in the past two years, the program has lost its global ambassadors. These ambassadors are students who talk about their experiences studying abroad with other students who are interested in the program.
Adkins explains the impact of this, saying, “The biggest downside, I think, is losing the global ambassadors.” She says, “Unfortunately, we lost two years of people studying abroad, so we don’t have any returners right now to help. But we do have students studying abroad right now, which is great, so they can restart that process.”
After these students return, they will reestablish the global ambassador program and act as resources for students who are also interested in the program.
Additionally, because of COVID-19 and global conflicts, Lasell currently does not have study abroad programs in China or Russia. She says, “COVID hurt many parts of the world. We don’t have any programs in China right now, for example. A few of the programs closed permanently and they haven’t reopened because of staff and the effects of COVID.” Lasell also does not have any programs in Ukraine currently because of the war.
Adkins said that studying abroad is a great experience that students should consider.
“It's just an incredibly valuable experience,” Adkins said. “And I'm glad it's coming back and we'd love to see pre-COVID numbers again, I want people to come back and talk it up.”