Change of scenery is a phrase often used when your surroundings become repetitive and do not feel the same as they used to. Oftentimes when this feeling is aroused, people may take a day trip or a weekend trip somewhere familiar, however not home. Students at Fitchburg State have felt as if they are stuck in Massachusetts and cannot escape because of the commitment to education. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Fitchburg State’s study abroad program hosted an informational fair, opening up endless amounts of opportunities for students to take advantage of.

Academics Study Abroad is a third party provider that works with Fitchburg State University. Students are able to study in many different places such as Europe, Spain, and South America. Alaina Morais, academics study abroad program advisor, works with universities in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and so many other countries in that region.

Alaina Morais touched base on the set-up of the study abroad program, stating “the organization process is a little bit different for every program. We come to these fairs to gather the information from the students regarding where they would be interested in studying and their day to day lives here.”

After gathering all of the students’ information, Morais will reach out to students and then—depending on their major, minor, or interests—will help them match to a program and advise them through the application process.

“We connect with Fitchburg State and then we essentially send them abroad. We help them with the VISA, we’ll help them with getting through the airport, essentially get them from point A to point B the best we can,” said Morais.

Nichole Salerno, assistant director of study abroad, informs all of the potential study abroad students of the process as well as scholarships available for them. The Global Ambassador Scholarship (for any faculty-led program) and the CIC/AVGC Scholarship are two grants offered by Fitchburg State University for faculty-led study overseas (for any study abroad program to Italy). You can enroll in one of the exchange programs to study abroad in China, Italy, Germany, or Japan. Your program advisor will guide you through the application process to one of our international partners immediately. You can enroll in provider-led programs through the institution, which offer an even broader range of nations to study in.

Anna Scholz is an exchange student from Germany who is studying computer science here at Fitchburg State University.

“I study computer science and media at Fitchburg State and my home university. In Germany I study at Hochschule Der Medien, which is Stuttgart Media University in English. I came to Fitchburg State to not only take the studying abroad opportunity but to improve my english. It is really good, especially for computer science, to be comfortable with the English language. Hochschule Der Medien and Fitchburg State University have a partnership program which allowed me to apply to go here. It was really easy for me and so fun to be in another country,” Scholz shared.

Anna Scholz and a group of other German exchange students connected with Nichole Salerno and are now successfully studying in Massachusetts.

“Everybody should study abroad. It is extremely, extremely important to study abroad. We live in a very big world and if you don’t travel within it you’re only seeing one little tiny part of Massachusetts.” States Nichole Salerno. Studying abroad opens up many opportunities for students all over the country, especially at Fitchburg State University.