HBCU's Abroad Presents: Amber

Generation Study AbroadHBCUs Abroadthe natural travelista

Dec 16

Written By Javonni McGlaurin

Meet Amber Brown

Macon, Georgia

Fort Valley State University, May 2017

Agricultural Economics

What was your motivation for studying abroad?

I received a scholarship that allowed for a study abroad experience. I wanted to experience traveling outside of the United States.

What is your favorite memory from study abroad?

One of my favorite memories from our trip was meeting students who were from Alabama A&M and Tuskegee University and a graduate student from Cameroon, at Nanjing Forestry University. We talked about our experiences there and ended up going out the last night we were in Nanjing.

What was the toughest thing about studying abroad?

The language barrier was the toughest part of my experience. Usually communicating with local people consisted of pointing to objects, showing them directions that were pre-translated by a guide or someone that worked at the hotel we were staying in at the time, or saying the name of a place hoping that they could point in the right direction.

How has your experience abroad helped your personal development?

I’ve learned to adapt faster and to not be scared to ask for directions, and ask what good places there are to go to, to eat and have fun.

How has study abroad impacted your global awareness?

Studying abroad has changed the way I perceived countries outside of the United States. I thought that all countries would have clear skies most days and a lot of countries are under developed. China is a populous country with pollution problems, but I never expected to be somewhere, where the weather was constantly humid with smog.

How has study abroad impacted your education and/or career?

My experience abroad has made me more marketable in my career. For my education, it has given me insight on another country dealing with my major area of study.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of studying abroad?

I would tell the person not to think about it because it is going to be different no matter how much research was done beforehand. I would tell them to take in all of the scenery, even the things that they don’t like because when you go to another part of the world things that we don’t do in America are the norm. My main advice is to be open minded, don’t be scared to eat the food, pack lightly, don’t be scared to make new friends, oh and the local people will most likely stare at you if you look different.