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Forty-three ¾¨Ó㴫ý students are studying in England, Italy, Ecuador, Spain, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, France, Costa Rica, and Pittsburgh for the fall semester.

"Studying abroad is a huge addition to the college experience," said Doreen Matune, secretary of academic affairs. "It really sets students apart having this kind of an involvement. They achieve a growth, tolerance, and maturity over their peers."

"It opens a student's world," said Dr. Jeffery Bersett, director of Off Campus Studies. "They become stronger, more independent people. They have better opportunities in the job market after graduation, and they understand their immediate surroundings better."

"Studying abroad is about opening yourself up to life's changes and having a deeper appreciation for the world around us," says junior English major Rachel Webb, who is studying in Barcelona, Spain, for the semester. "In just my first three weeks here I have seen architecture and landscapes one could only dream about. Most importantly, I have been given the chance to explore both a different culture and my own beliefs and emotions about all of the wonderful things life can offer a person."

Certain majors, such as international politics, international business, intercultural studies, and various modern languages, require study abroad.

"Sometimes it's more difficult for students of other majors or double-majors to get in all their class requirements," Matune continued. "But all the departments' faculty really go out of their way to help fulfill this opportunity for a student. When someone wants to enter the program, all offices and departments make it a priority to make it possible."

"¾¨Ó㴫ý faculty's help in preparation for studying abroad is superb," says Christine Line, a senior public relations and Spanish double major who studied in Spain last year. "I consider myself truly blessed to have had this opportunity. It is the primary aspect of my life that I reflect upon with nostalgia and pride."

"One of the wonderful things about the study abroad experience is the unique opportunity it gives you to dialogue with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds," says Christopher Stone, a junior individual interdisciplinary and philosophy double major who studied in Egypt last year. "Discussing history, politics, pop-culture, and religion with people from Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Morocco, Libya, Iran, and France provided me with fresh unique perspectives on the world around me."

The travel abroad program has been a strong part of ¾¨Ó㴫ý for decades. Recently, ¾¨Ó㴫ý has entered into student exchange programs with over 100 schools. Now ¾¨Ó㴫ý students can travel all over the world and receive the same rates and financial aid just as if they were still at ¾¨Ó㴫ý.

"Studying abroad while in college is the greatest recommendation I could give to anyone," Line said. "I would not trade the experience for anything in the world!"

Contact Matune at (724) 946-7121 (e-mail matunedm@westminster.edu) or Bersett at (724) 946-7259 (e-mail bersetjt@westminster.edu) for more information.