The Global Experience

By Morgan Behrens

Elon’s high ranking as one of the best schools in the country was one of the many factors that made me excited to attend school here. I knew that I wanted to do a study abroad program as it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity, and everyone I talked to who didn’t go abroad in college seemed to regret it. I, like most of my Elon peers, did my semester abroad in my junior year fall semester. I went to Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and I loved my experience and wouldn’t change anything about it. However, what I didn’t anticipate before coming to Elon, was how many opportunities that they provided to become an active global citizen while still staying in the United States.

In my time at Elon, I have participated in Elon in New York, Elon in DC, and now Elon in Iowa. If only I were in the com school, I could have gone to LA and collected the full set of Elon Study USA programs! While it is such a typical Elon Student to mentions “abroad changed me” at every opportunity where the option is presented, I tend to think that what I learned in my programs within the country had a more significant impact on my life. Did I absolutely have the time of my life in Ireland? Yes. Did I learn so much about the culture there and how it differs from my own? Yes. But what was far more interesting to me were the subtle differences between American Cities like New York, DC, and Des Moines.

People often think that the term “American” is all-encompassing, but for a country that prides itself on being a melting pot of different cultures, we often to forget about everything that makes us different, not from other countries but from each other. One of the things that was the most comforting to me when I first came to Elon was how everyone seemed to be like me; I felt like I fit in. While this is something that I will be forever grateful for as it drew me to attend Elon, I think it can also be incredibly dangerous. The half of the school that comes to Elon from 20 minutes outside of Boston, myself included, would have a seriously skewed view of what the United States looks like if they never venture outside of the Elon bubble.

The Elon Study USA programs have allowed me to escape the bubble, for a summer, a semester, or even two weeks at a time, while still allowing me the comfort of knowing I can return to campus eventually. I have learned so many things about the country that I could never have without these programs. By living in different communities, and meeting different people, I have become a much more engaged global citizen.