By: Gracie King | Editor in Chief | 

Styx sang it best in 1977: “I’m sailing away/ Set an open course for the virgin sea/ ‘Cause I’ve got to be free/ Free to face the life that’s ahead of me.” The innate human need to venture into the unknown and engage with other cultures is exactly what the Study Abroad program at South Alabama delivers to its students every semester.

Global USA, the effective parent organization of Study Abroad, works with other international programs to accomplish South’s Strategic Priority of Global Engagement. 

Jan Santos, an International Education Manager, advises students and faculty on the best way to get involved with Study Abroad if you are interested. She works with students individually to help find the best program for them, as well as assists in training staff members on how to lead a trip overseas with the faculty-led program.

The Study Abroad program strives to make international experiences available to all students, regardless of physical abilities that may otherwise hinder their travel. The program partners with the universities where students will be studying in order to communicate about and develop accommodation plans for all students.

Liam White, an International Education Ambassador Intern for Study Abroad, had the opportunity to travel and participate in the USA Language and Culture program in Madrid, Spain last summer. In addition to being a foreign culture aficionado, White is also blind. 

“Foreign languages and cultures were always something that interested me, so studying abroad was almost a no-brainer,” White said. “I figured it would be cool to immerse myself in the culture of another country and learn about its lifestyle. I actually came to South because I was told how good its study abroad program was.”

Though studying abroad may seem daunting to a student in need of travel accommodations, White was able to thrive at Exspanish, the school he attended while abroad.

“Not only was the city of Madrid more accessible than any place I’d ever been to in the U.S., but the people at Expanish went above and beyond to make sure that every single thing that everyone else did, I could do as well,” White added about his experience. “I don’t think South could have chosen a better city to send me to if they tried.”

Studying abroad can open so many doors for every student. You don’t need to be a foreign language or communications student to expand your perspectives and engage with different cultures.