Hastings College hosts students from many different countries from all over the world. These countries include: the Bahamas, Germany, Spain, Mexico, England, Turkey, Netherlands, Finland and many more with 26 in total. 

A study by the The Institute of International Education (IIE) shows that studying abroad during college cultivates many qualities in students that will help them later in life.

IIE performed a research study that involved 4,500 college alumni from the U.S. who studied abroad during college. IIE came to the conclusion that around 90% of the respondents said that their study abroad experiences cultivated multiple qualities in them. 

The qualities that were most commonly seen in students who studied abroad were self-awareness, teamwork, work ethic, adaptability and tolerance for ambiguity. These people were also asked if their study abroad experience contributed to a job offer at some point and over half of the respondents said yes. 

The people in this study said that while they were abroad, they had the opportunity to participate in short-term work opportunities, academic pursuits and the chance to learn a foreign language. 

If students from the U.S. had these qualities cultivated in them from studying in different countries, what about the students who came to the U.S. for their study abroad?

Amiel Johnson, senior from the Bahamas, said that going to another school in the U.S. definitely would have changed who he turned out to be today. 

Because HC hosts so many students from different countries, Amiel said “the benefit is meeting new people from different countries and the networking.” This is similar to the fact that students from the IIE study said studying abroad contributed to job opportunities. 

Isaiah Strachan, also a senior from Nassau, Bahamas, came to HC when he was 17. Strachan was able to grow into adulthood here in the U.S. He said he was able to learn more about the culture here without necessarily putting away or setting aside the roots from his home. 

“I always knew I was going to study abroad. I’m a person who knows that the world isn’t defined by one country or the one country I grew up in. It gave me a chance to see the world, to live outside of the home I had known.”

Going into adulthood here he also mentioned that it helped to expand his knowledge about the culture here. Strachan talked about how even though they do not watch football in his home country, he has become more of a Nebraska Huskers and a Green Bay Packers fan.

Strachan said “American students specifically do not feel the need to travel but I feel like travel helps you to gain a better cultural understanding.”

He said that he would consider staying after he graduates if the opportunity presents itself. 

Studying abroad, whether you are from the U.S. or from another country, is an important experience for students to have. By studying abroad, students are able to gain connections that help with future job opportunities, as well as providing them with important experiences.