“Hello, my name is Claire. I got my bachelor’s degree in business management from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Now I am back in my home state of North Carolina in the Master of Arts in Higher Education (MHE) program at Elon University. My fun fact is that I studied abroad three times in undergrad, and then worked in Barcelona, Spain, for a year postgrad.” 

I could write pages about the places I visited abroad, the lessons I learned, and the mistakes I made. But after spending a year collecting stories from other students abroad, I realized that every student who studies away has a personalized, meaningful story. Every student can recount the sights they visited and the meals they tried, but what is compelling for me to hear is how they grew and how this engaged learning experience changed how they view education and the world around them.  

In preparation for the first week of classes in the MHE program, I’m reading Mind the Gap (2023). The authors introduced the idea that students can be experienced without being reflective, which resonated with me, and I wanted to intentionally reflect on the knowledge I gained abroad and what I can do with it. What I want to share is not a list of the places I visited, but how those travel experiences shaped my understanding of student learning and led me to become a Graduate Apprentice for the Center for Engaged Learning. 

Learning through Study Away 

I am fortunate to have two parents who travel internationally for work, which encouraged me to seek new experiences and cultures. My dad would say airports are “shopping malls for adventure,” and that curiosity stayed with me as I entered college. Belmont University has an incredible commitment to international education, and freshman year I was able to study Spanish in Ecuador for a summer. Going into the experience, I did not know anyone. But I had an open mind that the more people I interacted with, the more memorable my time would be, whether it be my fellow students, or my host family, or locals at our host university. Throughout the immersive activities and lessons, I learned about Ecuadorian culture and climate in ways that sitting in a US classroom could never match. This experience showed me just how valuable immersion is for creating a deeper understanding of a place and its people. I also learned through connection. My strong relationship with my host family transformed this unfamiliar city into a community where I felt welcomed and supported after a matter of days. Our mutual curiosity about each other’s lives led to lots of knowledge and understanding about the world being shared. 

At Belmont, Honors students usually study abroad in the spring of sophomore year, and after working on my Spanish in the Southern Hemisphere, I wanted to practice some more in the Northern Hemisphere. I chose to go to Barcelona, Spain for five months. Here, I noticed I was learning primarily through exposure. Suddenly, I had all of Europe at my fingertips, and everyone in class was already talking about the weekend trips they had planned. In the discomfort of not having a car or sense of direction, I quickly had to master public transit, RyanAir, and find cheap ways to maneuver cosmopolitan cities. Losing the sense of familiarity created the condition for learning. In addition to gaining navigation skills, I was gaining confidence by repeatedly being exposed to unfamiliar settings. 

Thanks to support from my Honors College advisors, I got to participate in and learn from a second semester abroad in New Zealand, which had been a lifelong dream of mine. As I went through the process of figuring out visas, flights, course registration, and all the other logistics that go into study abroad for a third time, I realized how much of a role faculty and staff play in making that transition possible.  

The Belmont Honors department patiently answered all my questions and emails, supporting me so much along the way. I realized I wanted to become that person for others one day. I was just as fascinated by the planning of study away as I was by the experience itself. It was the first time I saw study away from the perspective of the people who make it possible, and I realized I wanted to spend my career creating those opportunities for others. In addition to taking a full course load, I spent my semester down under observing the study abroad process and noticing how the global education staff created such a life-changing experience. 

From Student to Practitioner 

I was a business major throughout undergrad, without a clear career in mind, but open and curious about all paths. In my final year, with my newfound interest in the study abroad industry, I took the time to coffee chat with professors and industry professionals and asked how they got where they are now. In the study abroad industry, people usually work on the university side or the provider side, as in, they send students out or receive them in a new location. An opportunity arose at my former university in Barcelona, The American College of the Mediterranean, where I could work as a Fellow on the provider side helping students transition into their new day-to-day life abroad.  

A student’s study away experience starts the second the idea of traveling is presented to them, and continues long after they return home. After experiencing that change three times myself, I was in a position where I could reassure parents, give advice, and help students move past the anxiety of arrival so they could fully engage with the learning opportunities that awaited them.  

Through curiosity, conversations, and connections, I discovered a career I had never considered. I knew I wanted to continue working in this field, and grad school felt right because I still had so many questions. Throughout my year as a Fellow, I kept wanting to write about my experiences with students, analyze these interactions, and consider how higher education can grow in this constantly evolving world. I observed different institutional approaches and how technology was changing the landscape of higher education, and wanted to study this field more in depth.  

A Future in Global Learning  

After reading the FIRE Toolkit reflection questions, I understand why it is important to have students think critically about these High-Impact Practices before, during, and after their experiences. It’s more than just answering questions; it’s about identifying purpose and giving direction for what’s next. 

Meaningful learning doesn’t happen because students travel—it happens because travel creates conditions for growth and curiosity. Watching that process from both the student and provider perspectives inspired my career in higher education. Moving forward, I hope to help create the same opportunities for future students that so many educators created for me. 

References 

Center for Engaged Learning. 2024. “Facilitating Integration and Reflection of the Elon Experiences Toolkit.” April 25, 2024. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/engaged-learning/fire-toolkit/. 

Namaste, Nina, Amanda Sturgill, Neal W. Sobania, and Michael Vande Berg, eds. 2020. Mind the Gap. Center for Engaged Learning. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/books/mind-the-gap/.  

About the Author 

Claire Woodley is the Graduate Apprentice for the Center for Engaged Learning and a student in the Master of Arts in Higher Education at Elon University program. She supports strategic initiatives and events, assists with program assessment, and develops new resources for the Center’s multiple audiences. Her interests include study away programs, pedagogical partnerships, and other high-impact practices. 

How to Cite This Post 

Woodley, Claire. 2026. “Finding Purpose Through Global Learning.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog). Elon University. September 8, 2026. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/finding-purpose-through-global-learning.