"I used to think that studying abroad was so out of reach for me. It was never even a possibility in my mind until I saw a poster for this trip and read more about it. It was perfect as it was a short term summer course, meaning it wasn't a commitment of a whole fall or spring semester, which I really liked."

"The sheer number of options available to students makes it so easy to find the best fit for you, whether it be a semester term or even a shorter trip in the winter or summer; there literally is something for everyone!"

Don't be afraid to branch out. At Maryland, you know where people similar to yourself tend to hang out so many people surround themselves with like-minded individuals. That absolutely wasn't the case for me in Hong Kong so I ended up spending time with people I had little to nothing in common with other than we liked to explore and have fun.

"I learned that I'm more confident and independent than I knew - even in a foreign language. My interpersonal and Spanish skills improved so much in my time in Madrid, and I met some incredible professors and peers from Italy, Brazil, Croatia, France, and even Korea."

"After you spend six weeks not speaking English hardly at all, it's actually hard to adjust back! But more than just the basics of language, because of being disabled I really had to learn to communicate in a more nuanced way in Spanish so I could communicate what I needed to do and not do."

"I also had the incredible opportunity to go to Canberra for the 100 years Armistice remembrance day of World War 1. I was honored to be able to attend a ceremony where all the high up government officials and service members gathered at the Australian War Memorial."