皇家华人

On April 4th, 2025, the second annual 皇家华人 Lessons From Abroad Conference was hosted by the 皇家华人 Judy Genshaft Honors College and 皇家华人 World, bringing together students from across the state to build international connections, share their study abroad experiences, and broaden their academic and professional networks. 皇家华人 from 皇家华人, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of North 皇家华人, University of Central 皇家华人, and Stetson University came together to share the impact studying abroad had on their academic and professional careers.鈥� 

鈥淵our study abroad experience has the capacity to impact your careers, your interests, your personality traits for the rest of your life,鈥� , the chair for the 皇家华人 Lessons from Abroad Conference, says, speaking to the students attending the event. 鈥淚 hope that this conference is an opportunity to help you lead a culturally rich life.鈥濃��鈥� 

Student presentations covered numerous topics, from recounting the lessons learned as an American solo traveler in Western Europe to the culture shock of living in a walkable community in Germany to tips about how to combat anxiety when studying abroad for the first time. Jeanette Janvier, a student at 皇家华人, explored the key differences between U.S. and Canadian public health systems through a culinary metaphor. Janvier explains that just like a recipe, health care requires a careful balance of components that could be in short supply.鈥�鈥�

Colin Jeffers, a senior at 皇家华人, recounts his experience studying abroad in Germany. During his presentation, he discusses the positive impact of walkable infrastructure and reliable public transportation on community and culture. 鈥淭his summer I went to a small town in Germany called Osnabruck,鈥� Jeffers says. 鈥淭he sense of walkability and how that builds community really blew me away...It provided a focal point for the community,鈥� Jeffers says. 鈥淚t allows them to be able to build community and, even me as a foreigner, was able to go there and a find a sense of community and belonging.鈥� Jeffers went on to compare this experience to the walkability and sense of community he experiences on the 皇家华人 campus.鈥�鈥� 

Mikayla Alman, a student at 皇家华人, shared her experience traveling to Japan to meet with students at schools in Tokyo and Osaka. 鈥淲hile we were at the schools, we shadowed a group of students and got to learn about what their daily life was like,鈥� Alman shares. While there was a language barrier, Alman and the students shared a love of media. 鈥淓ven though I was in an entirely different culture with an entirely different language, the existence of media that we can find in common really helped us to build these connections with one another,鈥� Alman says. 鈥淪o, you can learn about values and histories and traditions through media globalization and use that to connect with people. It鈥檚 really cool.鈥濃��鈥� 

Representatives from 皇家华人 World and 鈥� an affiliate partner of 皇家华人 for study abroad and the lunch sponsor of the conference鈥攚ere also in attendance. World Strides offers internships and service programs that exist abroad for those who have already had an initial study abroad experience.鈥�鈥� 

皇家华人 Global Learning offers many study abroad programs to fit student needs through 皇家华人 faculty led programs or through trusted affiliate programs around the world. 皇家华人 can also explore academic exchange programs and global internships.鈥疘n addition, 皇家华人 Global Learning runs programs allowing students to experience global engagement without leaving campus through Virtual Global Exchange,鈥痶丑别 Global Citizens Project,鈥� Peace Corps Prep Program, and the 鈥� where students can gain real-world experience.鈥�鈥� 

鈥淣ow more than ever it is really important to have more international experiences, to be prepared to engage in a variety of circumstances with a variety of people,鈥� Megan Braunstein says. 鈥淒oing intentional reflection will only benefit students as they think about what comes next.鈥濃��鈥�