Students who have studied abroad are encouraged to submit stories to the Study Abroad Center about their experiences.

The center will give awards to every student who submits a story and one student will win the Tales from Abroad essay contest. “We want to give students a chance to share their stories with prospective travelers,” said Andrew Haugen, program coordinator for the semester in Australia programs and graduate student in political science.

The center decided to sponsor the contest as a venue for information exchange between those who have studied abroad and those interested in studying abroad.

Haugen said responses will be posted on the study abroad Web site.

Haugen said by submitting essays, students are helping prospective study abroad students get interested in the program.

Christine Gemignani, assistant director for the Study Abroad Center, said the staff wanted the Web site to be up-to-date and the contest is a way to do this, she said.

Gemignani said she believes the purpose of the contest is two-fold.

“Not only does it support the re-entry process from students, but it also is a great promotional tool for those who are interested in studying abroad in the future,” Gemignani said.

Oftentimes, she said, students who have returned from trips abroad provide an overflowing wealth of energy and information, but as family and friends grow tired of hearing their stories, the students stop sharing.

This essay contest gives those students a forum to express themselves and help others in the process, Gemignani said.

Submissions must be no more than 300 words in length and should discuss where the student studied, any challenges they experienced, how they have grown through the process and any other pertinent information.

A sample essay from a few years ago is provided on the Web site.

“Above all, we want students to be reflective and discuss the overall impact of their experience,” Gemignani said.

All essays are due Oct. 1, and will be judged by the staff.

The contest results will be released at a later date.

The first place essay will be published on the Study Abroad Center Web site.

Any students who have either participated in an ISU study abroad program or who have custom-created their own international experience are eligible and encouraged to submit an essay highlighting their experiences.