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Studying abroad is an experience adults often preach about, saying how going abroad in college changed their lives and shifted their perspective.
Spanish teacher Senora Ruiz went abroad to Madrid while at Saint Louis University and has no regrets.
“It was such an adventure,” Ruiz said. “It was a little confusing at the beginning, but after two weeks I was settled in and feeling comfortable. And by the end, I did not want to come home.”
What most people don’t know is that they have the opportunity to go abroad in high school, as well.
Seniors Sadie Rosenberg and Matthew Averbukh both agree on this. Rosenberg studied in Israel, near Jerusalem. She stayed in a kibbutz, a communal living settlement, on
her trip and wants to go abroad during college again.
“I think it’s just a fun experience to go out and meet people, and you also get to see other cultures,” Rosenberg said.
Comparatively, Averbukh went to Zermatt, Switzer- land where he stayed in a skiing town in the Alps.
“I was hoping it could strengthen my mentality, I guess, and it was just really good character-building,” Averbukh said.
But the students of Parkway Central aren’t stopping there. This year, at least three students of the sophomore class applied to study abroad, which is more than usual.
Jenna Bader, the Study Abroad Enrollment Coordinator for Youth for Understanding, an intercultural exchange program, tells of their goals for student numbers.
“We try to get about 700 students going abroad per year,” Bader said. “For Missouri, specifically, there were five students for the 2022 school year and nine for 2023.”
Sophomore Sadie Coble hopes to be one of the students for 2024. She applied to go to Germany for the fall semester of her junior year, the second-most popular country according to Bader. For Coble, however, Germany is much more than just popularity.
“I have some family that lives over there, so there’s definitely an emotional connection with my mom’s relatives,” Coble said.
Assuming she is accepted, Coble eagerly awaits the promise of all the wonders and memories she will share.
“I’m most excited to experience a new way of things,” Coble said. “You can see through social media how European culture is there; they’re living so different from Americans.”
However, not getting accepted is a possible reality that she has had to think about.
Despite this possibility, Coble still feels even the application process was worth her while.
“My mom told me that this is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and one that not a lot of people get,” Coble said. “She kept on reminding me that even if I don’t get in, at least I applied and got this far.”
Elle Wujcik, another sophomore looking to go abroad, wants to go to Finland rather than Germany. She is going through YFU, the program Bad- er works for, whereas Coble’s program is affiliated with the German classes at Central. Like Coble, Wujcik looks forward to seeing the cultural differences, especially how daily school life compares.
“I’m really excited for history class and seeing what is different for them, even though it’s the same material,” Wujcik said. “Or if there’s like history that we have never even learned about because their perspective is just so different from ours.”
Like most things, though, it’s not all just excitement. Wujcik still has worries about going abroad, especially when it comes to the social aspect of it all.
“I’m nervous that I won’t be able to make any friends, and just about people not liking me, or not getting along with my host family,” Wujcik said.
One thing that rings true for all applicants, past and present, is the painstaking application process.
“I think I had to submit 23 separate documents just to get considered for the interview stage,” Wujcik said.
As for Averbukh, he had to write five essays to complete his application but is thankful for it because it helped prepare him for college applications.
But for Coble, the rigor was almost one of the reasons she gave up on her application entirely.
“With school going on, at one point I felt like it was too much to handle. The due date was originally the beginning of November, but the program kept extending the due date so it seemed like a sign to me— a good sign,” Coble said.
Now if anyone else is looking to go abroad, here is some advice for you: Rosenberg tells you to plan ahead and make sure you know just what to pack.
“Make sure to just look up the weather for the entire time you’re going to be there because it is a long time,” Rosenberg said.
Averbukh says to make sure to have at least some experience being away from home.
“You should have stayed away from your parents at some point,” Averbukh said. “You need to be comfort- able being apart from your family because if not, you can get really homesick.”
Finally, Ruiz just feels traveling and exploring the world to be an integral part of life, especially for young people.
“Definitely travel and study abroad when you can because it opens up your world and your perspective,” Ruiz said. “It’s just an adventure where you also get to learn a lot.”
Stephen Rutherford • Apr 29, 2024 at 7:07 am
Update: Sadie Coble won a full merit scholarship from YFU to study in Germany for the entire 2024-25 school year. This is the same scholarship that PCH Senior, Jannes Kressin, won to come from Germany yo St. Louis.
Over the past decade YFU has awarded $91,000 in merit scholarships to Parkway students to study abroad while in high school.
Please consider hosting a YFU student. Study abroad would not be possible without volunteer host families!