If you are looking to get out of the country sometime next year, you might want to consider enrolling in the study abroad program offered by the San Diego Community College District.

For over 15 years San Diego Mesa College, in conjunction with San Diego City College and numerous Southern California schools, has sent students to study in countries all over the world.

The program has given students the opportunity to visit such far-and-away places as Germany, Italy, Spain, and even parts of East Asia and South America.
Professor Leticia Lopez is Mesa College’s link to all things study abroad.
Lopez graduated from the University of Santa Barbara and received her Master’s degree and PhD in Hispanic Language and Literature, while simultaneously designing and directing their study abroad program.

Lopez is now working with Marion Froehlich, City College’s study abroad coordinator of 12 years, by planning schedules for future students in the SDCCD who wish to learn in another country.

There are requirements to study abroad which includes a collegiate record of no fewer than 12 units with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. However, the program has been known to make a few exceptions.

“Some students who don’t necessarily do well academically could be placed in this enhanced and unique learning environment, and be motivated to get good grades,” said Froehlich.

But the program is more than just good grades, and almost all students involved are changed by the experiences they have had and the people they have met.
Megan Barnett, an aspiring Spanish major, traveled to Costa Rica last year on a 1-month program after being awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship that covered the majority of the educational expenses during her stay.

“I had always wanted to travel abroad,” said Barnett, “I was fortunate to have the time and the resources to take a chance at this experience.”

The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship awards grant monies anywhere from $2500-$5000 for those who wish to study overseas or in another country. Funding for such a program can also be sought through the Board of Governor’s Waiver (BOG), which most community college students receive anyway, in addition to Pell Grants. Details about how you can apply can be found at www.iie.org/Gilman, or you can speak with a financial aid counselor.

Cultural enrichment begins almost immediately, as students are immersed in the customs and practices of nations often far different from that of Western society.

While many students opt to live in the apartments provided by the program, some elect to live with a host family for the duration of their stay. Host families are required to provide two meals a day, usually breakfast and dinner equivalents, and the student is expected to pay for a midday meal and other snacks if they so choose.

Froehlich recommends the home-stay component due to the fact that students tend to grasp the language and the culture more rapidly.

Leilani Tuiletufuga, a 31-year-old psychology major and recipient of a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, was “inspired by the promise of self-discovery through world exploration” and studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina for an entire semester.

“I expected to have new and enlightening experiences (and I did),” said Tuiletufuga, “I learned a lot about the world outside of the United States.”

Although the study abroad program is meant to be fun and enjoyable, there are rules to be enforced.

Lopez and Froehlich advise students to be respectful of their surroundings as well as the residents who live there. While expulsion based on the grounds of misconduct is rare, such a thing in not unheard of.

Mesa College will be hosting an International Education week Nov. 14-17. Froehlich and Lopez will both be in attendance if you would like to enquire about the study abroad programs for the upcoming year.

You can also forward more detailed inquiries to Marion Froehlich at GoGlobal@sdccd.edu or by phone at (619) 388-3652 between 1-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Hurry though; City College has just announced that they have received funding for a semester- long program in Argentina for fall 2012!