Elissa Wollins is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in accounting. She spent an incredible semester in Prague, Czech Republic during the spring 2015 semester. Studying abroad forced her to get out of her comfort zone, allowed her to meet people from all over the world, and encouraged her to try things she never would have considered before. “If you study abroad, you’ll come home with a new outlook on life, a few more pairs of shoes, and endless stories about castles, cliff-diving, and what happened on the night tram.

Nicole Lottig is a graduating senior at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Gender Studies. She studied abroad in Ireland during the spring semester of 2015. She studied at Maynooth University, which is located about a half an hour from Dublin. She learned a lot from studying in another country and would love to go back! Read up on her interview and learn more about her experiences. 

Ben Schuster earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communication at the University of Pittsburgh in the spring of 2015. He studied abroad in the Fall 2014 semester of his senior year to London, England. Read up on his interview below to learn more about his experience abroad! 

With over 20 years of experience in the field of International Education, Kurt Olausen is currently serving as Director of Study Abroad at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston, IL. Kurt has worked in the field of Education Abroad since 1994 beginning with a position at James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA). He served as Assistant Director in the Office of Study Abroad at Duke University (Durham, NC) for 10 years, and, most recently, as Director of International Programs at the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) from 2007-2012.

Jessica Pelland is a senior biology and psychology major at the University of Pittsburgh. Jessica is very involved on campus serving as the President of Pitt’s Animal Lovers Club, a Laboratory Assistant in a neuroscience and psychology lab, a Peer Leader for the Academic Resource Center, and a Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Biology 2. She intends to complete her PhD in the future and do research and teach in veterinary medicine for a career.

Jason Davison will graduate in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Minors in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as a House Manager at the William Pitt Union Building on campus as well as serves as the Secretary and Social Chair of Omicron Delta Kappa. Jason interned abroad in Sydney, Australia! Read his interview below and learn more about his international experience: 

Rachel Bukowitz is a sociology and environmental studies major at the University of Pittsburgh. She interned at the Israeli Wildlife Hospital during the summer of 2014 where her responsibilities focused on caring for sick and injured animals [primarily young ones in the nursery] and then releasing the animals back into the wild.

Traveling internationally since the age of six, Karyn Planett designed her studies and career to continue on the journey. After three years at Long Beach State College, she sailed aboard Chapman University's Semester-At-Sea ship for two semesters (8 months) completing her first of many trips around the world. Karyn also attended the International College of Copenhagen for their summer student exchange program to the former USSR and 5 other Eastern Block countries, going behind the "Iron Curtain" as an American in 1969.

From Rio to Milan, Nicolas Perin Peres has followed his dreams. A student of Bocconi University, he's currently studying at SMU in Dallas, Texas. You can find him online at https://pagesofajourney.wordpress.com/