Helping Students Find the Right Study Abroad Experience

By: Rebeka C. Hott, M. Ed., Study Abroad Advisor

 

Dear Parents & Families,

If you’re familiar with Gonzaga University, you have probably (at least) heard of Gonzaga-in-Florence. Coming from Mississippi, I didn’t know much about the university and knew nothing about the GIF program. Four months on the job have quickly changed that!

When I accepted the position of Study Abroad Advisor here, I began working, almost exclusively, with students choosing to study in Florence. I work with your student from the initial advising sessions to visa paperwork, what they should pack and how to plan weekend trips, how they’ll stay connected to those back home and how to present study abroad to you, their families. I am available to assist every step of the way and I absolutely love that I get to do this work!

As a recent graduate with my M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and a passion for international education, I am thankful to be at Gonzaga and to be working with these truly wonderful students. If your student has not mentioned or considered studying abroad as a part of their college career, I would encourage you to start the conversation. I would not be the person I am today, had it not been for my semester in South Africa, and I wouldn’t be the professional I am today without my summer semester in the U.K.

I am so glad your student is a part of the GU family and I look forward to working with him or her to find the perfect study abroad program to complement academic goals and a graduation timeline. While I love the history of the Gonzaga-in-Florence program and the legacy it continues to leave for the university and within the community, I am dedicated to helping your student find the right opportunity for them, regardless of where that might take them.