From Isela Gomez (CCIE 2025 Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient)
One of my favorite parts of my study abroad trip was building close connections with my classmates while navigating a completely new environment together. We grew closer each day, and I made friendships that I know will last a lifetime — I’m already planning a summer trip with one of my closest friends from the program! Along the way, I bonded with each classmate, our professors, and our amazing tour guides over shared feelings of homesickness, stories about our families, our favorite music, and the excitement (and surprises!) of trying new foods in Japan. Studying abroad taught me lessons no traditional classroom ever could, and I truly hope more students take the opportunity to experience it for themselves.
Here is my report on my outreach project and my volunteer hours.
For my outreach project, I created a weekly newsletter, with highlights from each week in Japan. These newsletters were posted on my college’s study abroad Instagram page.
Here are the analytics of each post. They are linked.
39 likes, 1,332 views, reaching 246 accounts
19 likes, 1,196 views, reaching 225 accounts,
25 likes, 1,265 views, reaching 253 accounts
Additionally, as part of my 10 volunteer hours to help the study abroad coordinator with outreach efforts, I helped put up flyers and picket signs all over campus bulletin boards about the college’s upcoming Spring and Summer study abroad programs. I also helped digitally create additional Instagram posts/flyers for the study abroad Instagram account, such as a post featuring the Donald R Culton scholarship application (scheduled to be posted next week).
Through my outreach project and volunteering, I hope to inspire and encourage students to consider studying abroad.
Thank you again for your generosity. I had an unforgettable time abroad.
Warm regards,
Isela Gomez