Despite financial college burdens, an increasing amount of Iowa State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) students have been studying abroad since 2000. What drives these students towards making a commitment to travel and study in foreign lands?

Between the year 2000 and 2016 the program jumped from 197 students a year to 444.

Shelley Taylor, the CALS study abroad office director of 17 years, explains that the program provides a variety of options from geography, price, length of stay, also the type of academic and experiential learning opportunities available. Some of the major Study Abroad Department programs include: internships, research, service-learning, semester to year-long trips and travel courses.

Last year CALS students traveled to 44 different countries. 16 Countries were visited by students through travel courses, a 10 day to 6 week trip option that covers agriculture topics through field tours and sightseeing. Taylor noted that, travel courses taken over holiday breaks have helped students afford a study abroad experience. It also allows students to maintain other commitments throughout the year like employment, organization membership etc.

Some of the department’s goals have included, providing international opportunities with academic relevance and rigor towards studies and financial availability. “We are always interested in providing support to students for study abroad. The department fundraises for scholarships to maintain strong programs so students have options. It is important that they can make choices depending on their personal situation and goals.” In 2016 the department raised $250,000 from private donors and directly from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Taylor added, “Our department recognizes the importance of involvement and growth, while striving to ensure that money is not the reason our students don’t study abroad.” She commended the faculty and program director’s efforts (apart of study abroad trips) to make the connection between content and real world application of science and academic focus for participants. “When students come back they show new perspective of their area of study, understanding its importance and how they might differently explore a career in that area.”, explains Taylor.

Taylor Berkshire a CALS student studying agronomy, environmental science and international agriculture has enriched her Iowa State experience by traveling through several study abroad programs. As a third-year student, she has traveled to Poland, Lithuania, South Africa, New Zealand, Austria, and Antarctica. She shared that her funding for these experiences was a combination of departmental and CALS scholarships, personal funds and occasionally loans.  

According the Berkshire, her study abroad experiences were valuable investments. While working with fellow students from the United States or other countries, she has learned to be flexible and how to better engage with others. “I’ve learned about the culture of many countries, and the beauty that each of them hold.” She explains that through these trips she has developed career goals and a passion for understanding the diversity of agriculture. Her new career goals focus on, “working to develop sustainable agriculture,” as well as, “improve soil and water conservation [abroad] to protect the resources that we use to feed the world.”