Peer Advisor Highlight

Up next for our Peer Advisor highlight is, Sarah Cunningham!

Sarah Cunningham, Senior, Cell and Molecular Biology and Anthropology

My international experience gave me a new language, a new family, a new perspective, and above all, a new understanding of the world and my place within it. Living in another country provides real-life lessons every single day in communication, organization, cultural awareness, adaptability, persistence, and independence that are invaluable in both an academic and professional setting. International experience also helped me decide what career I was passionate about and wanted to pursue. Everyone should try to travel internationally - as students we have so many opportunities to go abroad (many of which can be funded!), and international experience allows you to apply what you've learned in the classroom to real-world experiences. Traveling abroad also exposes students to so many different cultures, lifestyles, and ways of thinking that challenge what we think we know, and promotes global awareness and thinking on a global scale. The next place I want to visit is Morocco - I've always wanted to learn Arabic, and I think the culture and history of the country is fascinating.

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela

Happy International Education Week! #mgoabroad

Peer Advisor Highlight

In honor of International Education Week, the Education Abroad Office will be highlighting our wonderful Peer Advisors! 

Our advisors work hard every day to provide up-to-date information on all things travel, work, and study abroad. They inspire us and many others to get out and see the world on a daily basis! 

Stop by the Office for a visit and learn more about all the opportunities available for you! 
Make your appointment here: http://bit.ly/1HbgyL8

Michelle Gonzalez – 2nd year MPP student 

1. How has your international experience influenced your life academically and professionally?
My international experience reinforced my academic and professional goals. I always had an interest in poverty alleviation. I know that term is very broad but I think my goal was to dedicate my professional career to help in the fight to alleviate poverty. My time in Latin America, both as a student and Peace Corps volunteer, helped me realized that for as much progress as we have made, there is still so much work to be done abroad and here in the United States to combat poverty and inequality. I felt that the place where I could possibly make the most impact was through policy, which is what brought me to Michigan to pursue my Master’s in Public policy. 

2. Would you recommend traveling internationally to other U-M students? Explain.
If you have the chance to travel internationally do it! Traveling internationally helped me in so many ways. I experienced a lot of personal growth. I definitely became more independent. It also opened up my eyes to the fact that there is a HUGE world outside of the U.S. I stepped out of my comfort zone and felt like I had such an amazing and unique experience abroad. 

3. Tells us about one place you are dying to visit! Why?
I’m dying to visit Turkey! Turkey is a country that has such an interesting history and I hear that it’s incredibly beautiful. 

4. What is your travel motto? Example: “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

My travel motto I guess would have to be “expected nothing”. I say that because the times that I've traveled with no expectations (in terms of how I thought I wanted my trip to go, or what I wanted to experience when I went there) I've had the most memorable experiences. A lot of times, we can have really high expectations when we travel. You set an itinerary and you expect things to go according to plan and when it doesn't, you’re disappointed. When you have no expectations you open yourself up to so many new and incredible experiences.