Dr. Osman Özturgut, (far right) and Dr. Gregory Soukup gather with UIW students travelling to Korea this summer.

Once in a lifetime was just one of the ways students at the University of the Incarnate Word described their excitement about an upcoming trip abroad.  Since 2008, UIW has been providing students an opportunity to participate in an all-expense paid trip to Gwangju, Korea to teach English to Korean children at the elementary and middle school levels.  When the City of Gwangju became an official sister city with San Antonio in 1981, a component to the agreement called for educational collaboration between the cities.  As a result, Gwangju and UIW signed a memorandum of understanding creating this program.

Under the supervision of Dr. Javier Lozano, director of sister school partnerships, the program has given many UIW students the opportunity to teach English in Korea while learning more about the culture.  Since its inception, more than 40 UIW students have taken advantage of this opportunity and parlayed it not only into a great educational experience but for some even a new career path.

“Students who participate in this program return with much more than a better understanding of the Korean culture and teaching overseas. They also return with new ideas on making a positive difference at UIW and in their community,” Lozano said.  This year’s trip is set for July 27 through August 18 but prior to making the trip, students must attend a 60-hour intensive teacher training course presented by Dr. Osman Özturgut, associate professor in UIW’s Dreeben School of Education.

“This is not a program that starts in Korea but here at UIW,” said Özturgut.  “I train these students not only for them to be effective language teachers but also to spread our Mission. These students are leaders with global perspectives.”

“They are hardworking, dedicated and passionate individuals with strong educational qualifications, carrying the Mission of UIW to East Asia. I cannot tell you how proud I am as a faculty member with the quality of our students. They truly become ambassadors for UIW and I am always honored to be part of their experiences,” said Özturgut.

The goal of the program is for Korean students to interact and learn from native English speakers, while offering UIW students the opportunity to engage and learn more about the Korean culture.  Approximately 300 Korean students, ages eight to 14, participate in the three-week camp each year. The students are taught all subjects, from math to music, during the three-week period all in English by UIW students.

Juan Rodriguez, UIW senior accounting major, said his original intention was to participate in the program as a resume booster, a way to set him apart from other job applicants after graduation while getting the global experience necessary for business students. Instead, he got a life changing experience and is now preparing to spend a second summer in Korea.

“Words can’t express how cool it was. I will always be grateful for the experience,” said Rodriguez.  “It will open up doors in ways you don’t even know.  They have very high expectations of us as teachers and we are treated as professionals. It is a responsibility that we must live up to.”

This will be the first UIW study abroad experience for Trinidad Macias, a UIW Ph.D. student studying international education and entrepreneurship.  She was approached by Özturgut about the trip and immediately applied for the program.  “I’m very excited about the opportunity.  I’m not sure what to expect but I am looking forward to being fully immersed in the Korean culture.”

In preparation for the trip, students meet with others who have previously taught in Korea.  The students share their experiences and challenges including engaging the Korean children, and erasing American stereotypes.  Students have shared creative ways to teach American culture including demonstrating the Chicken Dance during music class which brings smiles all around or playing American games during physical education.

While in Korea, the UIW students also meet as a group to compare experiences and share ideas about what techniques work with the children and which ones do not.  They also prepare for one of the most memorable experiences of the trip, a 24-hour homestay with a Korean family, a time when they are fully immersed into the Korean culture.  For Rodriguez the homestay was a life changing experience.

“The food was incredible, the country was beautiful and I learned a great deal from my host family and the students I taught.”  In fact, he was so moved by the experience Rodriguez is even thinking about teaching abroad as a career, something he never thought about doing before his trip to Korea. The experience changes lives on both sides of the globe.

In its continued quest to improve the educational experience, the University of the Incarnate Word is expanding its life-changing Study Abroad program to Athens, Greece.

“We think Greece is a wonderful location. It has incredible history, beautiful scenery, and great places to sightsee,” said Marcos Fragoso, UIW vice president for International Affairs. “This summer, faculty will start taking students for four-week periods. The students will start class here with a UIW faculty member and then travel to Greece and continue the class. When they return to San Antonio, the students will complete the course.”

While on study abroad, students have the opportunity to visit other locations. While spending a semester in Rome, Gaby Canavati took a trip to France and visited Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The faculty-led trip will be based at Deree, the American College of Greece, in Athens.

“While they are in Greece, the UIW students will take an additional course or workshop with a Greek professor. The students will earn college credits for their participation,” Fragoso said.

While visiting Deree, UIW students will learn about Greek culture, interact with Greek students, take classes, see historic landmarks and take an excursion to a Greek island.

“Our study abroad students also are able to enjoy outstanding facilities in Greece. They will stay at the training facilities for the U.S. Olympic team for the 2004 Olympics. This is an incredible opportunity,” he said.

Greece is just one opportunity available to UIW students; the choices are many. Students can visit one of more than 100 universities in nearly 40 countries as part of UIW’s Study Abroad program. Options include a fall or spring semester, a summer program, or a faculty-led program for a two- to five-week period.

Because students who visit sister schools are still considered UIW students, tuition costs the same as taking classes in San Antonio. The student’s scholarships can be used as usual. The only additional cost is housing, which varies depending on location. But financial aid and other scholarships can help cover living expenses.

“We think Study Abroad is very important for students in San Antonio because they get the opportunity to go to a new country and study at another university while earning college credit. They get to learn about a different culture and meet students from around the world,” Fragoso said.

“Our sister schools send their students here, which helps to enrich our campus. It is a wonderful learning experience for all involved,” Fragoso added. “Because of our Study Abroad program, we have students from 62 nationalities at our campuses in San Antonio, China and Mexico City.” There are 24 foreign exchange students at UIW this semester, and 14 UIW students are studying abroad.

Last year, the Study Abroad program launched the “Go Away” campaign to encourage participation, and held Study Abroad fairs to allow students to meet representatives from sister schools.

Gabriela “Gaby” Canavati ’10 BA is one of many students who recently traveled abroad. She took a journalism class at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, during Spring 2010.

Canavati (third from left) went with several friends she made while on study abroad to Cairo, Egypt, where they saw the Pyramids of Giza.

“Studying abroad has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Canavati said. “I always said I wanted to go to Italy or Greece. My travel experience previously had been limited to Mexico.”

Her preparation included an Italian language class and researching where she wanted to visit while studying in Europe. During her time there, she visited Egypt, France, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain and traveled throughout Italy.

“I encourage other students to take advantage of the Study Abroad program. They should enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she explained. “Many students don’t understand the importance of traveling abroad. My goals in life totally changed after going there.”

Before her trip, Canavati said, she had considered a career in public relations and advertising. “After going abroad, I want to go in an international direction. I am looking at a career in international cultural relations.”

In December, Canavati earned a bachelor’s in communication arts with a concentration in bilingual communication, and now she’s working on a master’s in communications at UIW.

Also in the communication arts field is Jane Clare Vosteen, a junior who studied journalism at the London College of Communication during the Fall 2010 semester. Vosteen said she first learned about the program when UIW Study Abroad Coordinator Alanna Taylor spoke to her class.

“At first I didn’t think I could participate in Study Abroad because of scheduling conflicts,” said Vosteen, who played soccer and participated in track during her freshman and sophomore years at UIW. Vosteen visited England in the fall, and then returned to San Antonio for the spring semester so she could continue competing in track.

Vosteen said she thinks Study Abroad helps students learn more about themselves and their preferences in life.

“I definitely learned about a different way of living and making new friends,” she said. “I gained a new appreciation for Texas and for going to school in Texas. I really like the size of the city here more. I like the weather a lot more here.”

Vosteen said she feels thankful for the UIW campus and its sense of community. In England, the university she attended was a lone building where students took classes. Students lived where they could find housing, and there were no common areas such as a cafeteria.

Chris Young took four international business classes at Schiller International University in Madrid, Spain, in Spring 2009. Young earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business from UIW in May 2010. He is now working on a Master of Business Administration at UIW.

Chris Young enjoys the scenery during his study abroad trip to Madrid, Spain.

Young said he enjoyed leaving his home city of San Antonio and being immersed in a different culture.

“I had to adjust the way I think. Everything was so different. Architecture, art and food were all so very rich in Spain. I had so much to learn,” he said. “I hoped that sometime during my stay I would feel like a local there. After two months, someone asked me for directions, and that is when I felt like a real local.”

Young said he learned that travel there was very different and more affordable for students. He bought a roundtrip ticket from Madrid to Paris for $60.

“The ability to travel while there was incredible,” he explained. “We saw seven countries and 25 cities. We did our research before and after we got there. Planning is a huge component to a successful experience.”

Young said he encourages any student who has the opportunity to make Study Abroad a priority. The Study Abroad Office is supportive and well organized, so the staff can answer any question, he added.

“Finding the answers to all the questions helps students realize that Study Abroad is very possible,” he said. “Study Abroad is the best time I have ever had in my life.”