Northwest Study Abroad Returnee Conference

Korrin B.

May 6, 2009 - 4:00 PM

Ever since I came back from studying abroad, I've been obsessed with travel. I want to see the world and meet people from all over it and eat all of its food and bask on all of its sunny shores. However, it is necessary for me to stay settled in Eugene (for a little while at least), so instead of actually jetting off to foreign lands, I try to find ways that get me close to the feeling.

One way this can be accomplished is simply by talking about it with other travel enthusiasts. Over the weekend, I surrounded myself with fellow study abroad returnees at the first annual Northwest Returnee Conference held in Portland. The conference invited any student in the northwest universities who had studied abroad within the last two years to come and enjoy a day of international delight. I journeyed my way up to Portland the night before the Saturday conference and stayed at my aunt and uncle's house. After driving perplexedly through the many one-way streets of Portland, I finally found parking near the University of Oregon White Stag Building and made my way into the conference room where the event was being held. I thought it was pretty cool that the University of Oregon has its own mini-campus in Portland!

I sat down at a table in the front of the room and introduced myself to the other students sitting at my table while we all waited for the first speaker to start the day. One of the students was a graduate student from Portland State University who had studied in Lyon, France. The other was a senior from Central Washington University who had studied in both Switzerland and Germany. It was so much fun sharing our stories with each other. It is amazing how travel can instantly spark some amazing conversations.

The conference started soon after. The initial speaker welcoming us all to the event first asked us to raise our hands for which area we had studied in and then named off the different regions of the world. He then named some different universities and asked us to raise our hands for which one we were coming from. I was so proud when the University of Oregon was called and we were the only group that broke the silence. Ducks scattered throughout the room gave cheers and hollers to go along with their raised hands. I love the Ducks, only we would voice our pride at something as neutral as a study abroad conference. Go Ducks!

This initial welcome was followed by a welcome speech from University of Oregon alum, Jaxon Love. Love had studied abroad in Lyon, France in 2002-2003, taught in elementary schools in Paris from 2004-2005, and served in the Peace Corps in Jordan from 2006-2008. It was wonderful hearing how his international experiences had affected him and to see what he was doing with them in his everyday life. He mentioned how the conference we were having was really important because there is so much preparation for when you leave to another country, but no one prepares you for what to expect when you get back. Often, re-entry is the more difficult part than actually leaving and getting used to a new culture. I know it was for me, and looking around the audience as he talked about this, I could tell that many other returnees were feeling the same way.

Next, we broke off into groups to do smaller workshops that were of interest to us. The three different section were: "Unpacking Your Experiences: Reflecting on your Cross-Cultural Journeys," "International Career Panel," and "Abroad Again." I went to the workshop on "Abroad Again," which is pretty self-explanatory. The workshop focused for an hour on the different opportunities available for us to go live abroad again. It was a great workshop to be a part of and was very inspiring. They talked about different organizations that offer global internships, volunteer work, or research opportunities. They also discussed the possibility of studying abroad again for undergraduates and certain graduate schools that require time abroad for their masters programs. There are also places that can assist in attaining international work visas for students and many groups that need teachers of the English language to go to several different countries. A speaker from Peace Corps was also there to talk about that unique two-year experience. I left the workshop knowing that I would be abroad again soon. I'm hoping to study abroad in Ireland next summer and I was very interested in some of the English language teaching programs they talked about in Thailand.

During lunch, we all met back in the main conference room and enjoyed some delicious sandwiches while listening to a talk from the Vice Provost of International Affairs at the University of Oregon, Steve Durrant. Mr. Durrant gave an amazing talk in which he spoke about his wife, a native of France. She had lived through the struggles of the war while France was occupied by Germany and therefore had always been very hesitant to speak of the land at all. When Durrant was offered a job in Germany, she decided to conquer her fears and moved with him. She immediately immersed herself in the culture and learned the language and made lifelong friends. She found a place she could call home in a place that always seemed the farthest from home to her. It was such a great story of international connections and the importance of moving beyond one's own comfort zone. And, once again, it was someone coming from the University of Oregon. Not to brag, but the UO is a pretty amazing place with some pretty amazing people!

After lunch was the second round of workshops. The second round included: "Funding Abroad Again," "Travel Writing: Documenting Your Journey," and "International Resume Building." I attended the "Funding Abroad Again" workshop as I thought it was necessary after deciding to go "Abroad Again." I need to pay for it somehow! The workshop was very informative and I learned about a lot of different scholarships available.

The formal part of the convention ended with another gathering in the main conference room and closing remarks from the Director of Study Abroad and Exchange Programs at Central Washington University, Larry Laffrey. Laffrey's words gave me goosebumps. He talked about how his son had gone to Australia to work on costume designing and how he had felt seeing his son off on his plane, knowing that he wouldn't see him again for several years. His story ended talking about how when his son first flew into Australia, the first thing he saw were the unique arches of the Sydney Opera House. When his son left many years later, changed from his experiences and married, he looked down from his plane and saw the same arches, but this time knew that on the building was a poster for an upcoming performance and at the bottom of the poster was his name next to a line reading "costumes designed by." It was such an incredible story about how far an international experience can take you. Laffrey was such a great speaker.

The last, informal part of the conference was an international resources fair. I got an amazing amount of information from this part. I talked to representatives from many international organizations and companies about many things that I could get involved in. I left with many connections made and several informational pamphlets in my bag (Along with a few free pens and stickers! Yeah!).

I must say that the first annual Northwest Study Abroad Returnee Conference was quite a success and I think more students should take advantage of it next year. Coming home is hard and it's great to know that there is that kind of support out there. Being in that atmosphere will hold me over until my next global journey.