Jackson State Community College, in association with the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies, is sending 23 students abroad to 13 countries.
“We have a lot of faculty who are excited about studying abroad, so when we’re excited about it, I think that the students can feel that,” Dr. Liz Mayo, JSCC assistant professor and coordinator for global learning, said.
JSCC student Cassie Comer shares why she applied.
“I had a friend who studied abroad and she shared a little bit about her experience. I always wanted to go abroad, so this gave me an opportunity for that,” Comer said.
“We had some generous scholarship opportunities, so we could fund our students at 70% of their cost. And that made study abroad, which is usually unattainable, very affordable,” Dr. Mayo said.
Dr. Mayo’s program is growing as funds and awareness increase. Comer tells us where she’s going on her travel.
“I’m going to the Alps. We’ll be going to Austria, Italy, and France,” Comer said.
Dr. Mayo speaks on the program and why it’s important.
“The students who go overseas get the benefit of experiential learning. I always tell my students, that while they can learn a lot in the classroom with me, they can learn a whole lot more when they go, and they see, and they do. It helps them to have a life-changing experience. Then they bring those experiences to our community, and that helps them. Whether they’re working in transfer pathways, going to universities, going to graduate school, or going straight into industry,” Dr. Mayo said.
“Studying abroad changed a lot of things for me. I don’t think I had quite as much courage as I do now,” Comer said.
“We have a very strong consortium. The Tennessee Consortium for International Studies, and has given us a great foundation,” Dr. Mayo said.
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