To get more students involved with studying abroad, Marshall University sponsored a study abroad fair Sept. 26 in the Memorial Student Center.

The fair consisted of professors and associates providing information on several opportunities abroad. One opportunity is sponsored by the College of Arts and Media. Heather Stark, associate professor and the program director for CAM, talked about an upcoming trip to Florence, Italy, during the fair.

“It’s a pretty easy application process,” Stark said. “Students just have to apply.”

The program is a four week intersession in Florence, starting immediately after the 2019 spring semester. Students have four classes to choose from: one lower level English class and three upper level English and art classes. The prices for the trip range from $4705 to $4993, depending on which courses are taken. While CAM does offer scholarships, Stark said she wishes more emphasis was placed on financial aid for students who want to study abroad.

“I’ve had students that really want to go but have no family support,” Stark said.

Stark also said there were scholarship opportunities that institutions outside of Marshall provided. However, she said she believes students should take every opportunity to study abroad.

“You are forced to get out of your comfort zone,” Stark said. “You have to be adaptable, you have to be flexible. You can’t compare [seeing things in person] to what we do in the classroom.”

Hanna Kozlowski, an assistant professor for Marshall, said she agrees. Kozlowski also said studying abroad is necessary for students to understand other cultures.

“We grow up having a misconception of how other people live,” Kozlowski said. “I think studying abroad helps us understand that we’re all connected. The experience is invaluable.”

The trip is open for application to all students, as long as they are in good academic standing and have not been the recipient of disciplinary action. Both Stark and Kozlowski said they believe students should try to study abroad earlier in their college career, but Stark said post freshman students may be more prepared.

The deadline for early application for the trip is Dec. 14. The final deadline for applying is Jan. 25.

Sam Phillips can be contacted at [email protected].