Parent Perspective on Studying Abroad

My children have had the opportunity to travel the world over the years. Switzerland, the Amazon, and Costa Rica are a few of the places they visited while growing up. These experiences were always with a parent or extended family, which helped make the travel feel comfortable and safe for me. When my daughter, Riley, decided to apply to study abroad for a semester in Florence for her junior year, I was excited for her to continue her experiences exploring different parts of the world and learning about different languages and cultures.

With this excitement came questions and uncertainty, since this would be her first experience traveling without family. How comfortable would she be negotiating foreign airports and cities, managing her money, being away from family for so long, all while attending classes and keeping up on her studies? I quickly realized that I didn’t need to worry. Gonzaga staff did an excellent job preparing Riley to understand her responsibilities and to prepare her for the experience. They also provided ongoing communication to parents and answered our questions, which allowed us to support Riley and prepare her for her semester abroad.

Upon Riley’s return, I saw what a positive experience it was for her. Listening to her stories about her professors and classes, participating in the ‘English for Pasta’ program with her Italian family, giving tours at the Cathedral, traveling to different parts of Europe on the weekends, and meeting new friends from Gonzaga and other colleges, I realized how managing those experiences on her own helped to make her more confident and self-assured and appreciative of other cultures and worlds. I’m certain she wouldn’t hesitate to study abroad, again, if she had the chance, and I would support that decision.

Susan Ramage

Parent of Riley Ramage (’17)