"My host family was amazing and showed me that complete strangers can become family."

"Everywhere I went, either to a new country or to a discoteca, I made friends with new people. It was a wonderful feeling to learn that I could interact with so many people from various areas and backgrounds with ease."

"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!"

"One of the best examples of becoming comfortable with unfamiliarity is living with a host family. Within one week I grew very comfortable with my host family just by conversing with them in my somewhat broken Spanish and diving right into the experience of full immersion."

"The world may be becoming more interconnected, but it is still a very big place. I met all kinds of people from all walks of life all over the world and now I can say that I have close friends in five continents, including other civil engineers."