By Haley Knight |
Contributor
Study Abroad is more than traveling. There are people who work behind the scenes to makes students’ dreams come true. They help provide the money, travel authorization, process payments and much more. There is a Study Abroad board that consist of faculty members who have been a part of previous study abroad trips. They help organize safe adventures for students and staff. They review program proposals done by faculty professors. Following their approval, Rachel Morris, the office coordinator, reviews the list and provides travel authorization.
Morris first fell in love with Study Abroad when as an Augusta University undergraduate history major she traveled to the Galapagos Islands (off the coast of Ecuador) with Associate Professor Robert Cromer of the Department of Biological Sciences. It was her first time traveling internationally and her first time on a jet. Morris, who always seems to have a smile on her face, described the wildlife as friendly creatures that walked up to people. She was able to affirm things she had learned about history and culture during the trip.
“I studied history and Latin history,” she said. “I was able see what I’ve only read about in classrooms.”
Soon after her trip, Morris immersed herself into the Study Abroad department. She was a student assistant for a few months and moved up to a pert-time office specialist. She graduated from AU in 2016.
In November 2016, Study Abroad Director Maria Darley hired Morris as the office coordinator. The office coordinator is responsible for many things, including budget, scholarship dispersal and the Junior Model United Nations.
“I really love my job,” she said. “Maria Darley makes it worth it.”
When asked about what makes her job so rewarding Morris described watching the faces of students before their journeys and after their journeys. She explained that seeing the happiness and excitement of students is her favorite part of her job. She has students that have brought back magnets from their SA trips and have given them to her. Morris, who grew up in Augusta, keeps them on display in her office on the filing cabinet.
“A college degree without Study Abroad is lacking,” Morris commented.
She expands on her statement by adding that Study Abroad provides a hands-on experience that most classrooms do not have. They are faculty-led with professors who have studied the curriculum specifically for the trip. Students have the opportunity to soak in their studies from their surroundings and communicate with people of other cultures.
“Cultural difference made me want to travel more,” Morris said when explaining how impactful her Study Abroad trip was to her.
Further information, see www.augusta.edu/studyabroad.
Contact Haley Knight at HKNIGHT@augusta.edu