The Memorial Union hosted its Study Abroad Fair to promote different programs to students at Iowa State.

The fair presented booths filling the Memorial Union’s Great Hall with staff talking to students about what their programs entail. 

According to Iowa State’s Study Abroad Center website, they provide, summer, fall and spring opportunities for students. Additionally there are opportunities to intern abroad.

Programs provided include exchange programs, affiliate provider programs, direct partner and faculty led and travel led courses.

Christian Bruner, a first-year in kinesiology, said he thinks the study abroad fair is cool and had a nice layout.

“They got all the booths, like it’s perfect,” Bruner said.

Similarly, Zachary Warren, a first-year in finance, was also impressed with the fair.

“Everyone seems to know what they are talking about too,” Warren said. “There’s no ‘um’s’ or anything.”

Warren expressed interest in studying abroad in Japan.

“Especially with pricing and everything, that is one of the more affordable ones,” he said.

Ella McGrath, a sophomore double majoring in global resource systems and horticulture, said she has already studied abroad in Rome and is planning on going to Costa Rica this spring.

“I’m really interested in Costa Rica because Costa Rica [it] is environmental central and I’m really interested in plant science so it perfectly aligns with what I want to do,” McGrath said. “And I’m really interested in studying Spanish abroad cause I’m doing Spanish right now.”

Additionally, McGrath said she came to the fair because she loves to look at all the programs and one of her favorite things to do is scroll through the study abroad website to see what is offered. 

“I think Iowa State is like, study abroad central,” McGrath said. “Like, there’s so much to do, so many places that you can go. It’s so fun to just look.”

McGrath said she is hoping to get a sticker from the study abroad fair to add to her collection and said that she got to speak with the organization she is partnering with for her trip to Costa Rica.

“It’s really fun to see how everyone else is involved and what everyone else is doing [and] where everyone is going,” McGrath said.

Alaina Gebel, a sophomore in agricultural education and international agriculture, works for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) study abroad office and was interested in working with the office because she has the opportunity to promote something she loves.

“To share my experiences with others, to just really tell students it’s more than just a resume builder,” Gebel said. “It’s a way to make friends, form new connections and like, kind of get a global perspective.”

Gebel said she’s always been interested in studying abroad.

“I went on my first trip to Costa Rica and I realized there’s so many opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to have if you just went traveling on your own, [like] getting to talk to farmers from an agriculture perspective and having some of those more in depth cultural experiences, besides just those tourist locations,” Gebel said.

Gebel said her job involves introducing students to different programs, creating promotional materials and promoting the programs in classrooms.

Gebel said to prepare for the fair, they “made all the promotion material and are promoting it on social media, that sort of thing.”

Information on study abroad programs can be found on their website.