By Ronica Hutchison–

On Jan. 27, students met with study abroad representatives and U of L faculty to learn what opportunities are available to them and how they could become a part of the #UofLGoesAbroad community. Along with eating free food, students met with peers who had previously studied abroad in order to gain real-world insight.

Junior Diana Lalata, who traveled to Sevilla, Spain for the entire past fall semester to study Spanish, volunteered at the Study Abroad Fair to offer her expertise.

“A lot of students came in to learn more about the opportunities to study abroad,” said Lalata. “I spoke with so many interested students about my trip to Spain and even encouraged a few to visit Sevilla.”

Last year, hundreds of U of L students studied abroad. They visited a range of countries, from Russia to Ghana, while studying a variety of topics.

Sophomore Brooke Harvey was excited to share knowledge she gained from attending the fair.

“I talked to KIIS about going abroad this summer in either Denmark or Peru to study biology,” said Harvey. “I learned that through studying for four weeks in either country, I can gain valuable international experience while even getting a biology elective.

“The representative I talked to shared all of the scholarships that I am eligible for, which turned out to be much more than I expected. I had fun, ate great food and now I may have summer plans.”

A special addition to this year’s fair was the chance to win a scholarship for study abroad. Later in the day, The Office of Study Abroad held a spin the wheel contest and awarded Annemarie Reynolds the winning prize. She received a $5,000 stipend to travel to Dublin, Ireland this June.

The fair drew a lot of attention from the U of L community, but there are still several opportunities to get involved with The Office of Study Abroad. There will be many upcoming info sessions similar to this past event in order to garner more interest.

For more information, visit The Office of Study Abroad’s website at Louisville.edu/studyabroad or call (502)852-0374.