Finally, getting out of the United States…

By 2010, every William and Mary student will study abroad; whether its a four week stint over the summer in South Africa, a semester in Bangladesh, or a year-long exchange in Oxford.  This was an initiative of our former College President Tim Sullivan, and although his visionary goal may not have come to complete fruition, his challenge to the college has been met with a great response: today, over 55% of our college has studied abroad.

These are the types of goals that excite me here at William and Mary, and because I have been so inspired by so many of my friends that have studied abroad, I will be going to Florence, Italy from mid-May to mid-June!  The College’s fantastic international studies office, called the Reves Center, has helped me out tremendously over the past month in a half.  Whether its simply answering questions about funding the trip, deciding which trip to choose, or just giving out helpful tips (for example, one Reves Center employee recommended that I fly to Italy three days early and spend time in Rome before the program actually starts…brilliant!), they are there for you.  I’ve always told prospective students about the warmth and approachability of the Geology Department, which is totally true, they rock (no pun intended, honestly…I was JUST editing this post when I realized the humor), but the Reves Center is equally as amazing.  So, if there is anywhere in the world (and I mean anywhere) in the world that you want to go while in College, rest assured that you have a friend in the Reves Center.

Equally as exciting, and although its a little bit unrelated to study abroad experiences, I am partaking on an International Service Trip to Guatemala for spring break!  Through a program called the Global Village Project, the international branch of Habitat for Humanity, a team of around 18 students have raised nearly 25,000 dollars to pay for a 10 day trip to Central America.  GVP was the first of many international service trips established at the College in the last 10 years, and they are now a huge hit.  Not only are they a fantastic experience while in college, but they have life long effects.  I’ll save this for another post, though, once I’ve actually been on the trip!

In summary, if you like to travel and see the world, this is definitely a place for you.  International service trips, study abroad locations around the world, and a fantastic Reves center all combine to make William and Mary an ideal destination.

Austin Wiese
Class of 2010