Drury’s Study Abroad after the time of COVID: Will it be different?
If you were a Drury student last year, surely you remember the moment you found out that campus was closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a shocking and stressful time for all those on campus, but it was even more so for the Drury students studying abroad and those who were getting ready to. Those who were international at the time had to find a way to get home, and those who were planning on traveling in the summer had their hopes crushed before their eyes.

Even though in-person classes resumed in the fall semester, studying abroad did not. Traveling internationally has been exceptionally difficult during the pandemic, and as a result, studying abroad has not been possible this academic year. All of the study abroad programs for the Fall 2020, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 semesters were cancelled. However, if you’re a student wanting to learn in another country, your luck is
about to change.

According to Drury’s website pagehttps://www.drury.edu/study-abroad, study abroad programs through the university will resume this fall and occur in the spring semester as well. Students will be going to Ireland, Spain, England, Slovenia, Germany, France and Korea.

The faculty-led summer programs will also be returning in the summer of 2022. In order to get more insight on how the pandemic may have affected study abroad programs, the Mirror interviewed Dr. Shelley Wolbrink, who leads the summer study abroad trip to
Rome alongside her husband Dr. Jeff VanDenBerg.

When asked about whether or not she expects the pandemic to have changed things about studying abroad, Wolbrink replied, “For the Rome, Italy, study abroad program we expect travel to remain likely the same as in other years, since the trip is almost a year away.”

She continued by discussing the role of vaccinations, “Both Dr. VanDenBerg and I are vaccinated, and I hope our students going on the program get vaccinated as well. Of course these things are unpredictable but all the good things will be there in terms of
cultural immersion and experiencing a global culture.”

Obviously it is natural that the pandemic may have caused some to shy away from international travel, but Wolbrink is ready to embrace the world again. “There’s nothing better than getting out of one’s comfort zone and seeing the beauty and history that
travel offers,” she said. “We’ve been interiorized so much, and cautious, and have sacrificed a lot of pleasure–we are ready to get out and connect with others and share experiences.”

Wolbrink believes there are many things to be gained from studying abroad. “The Drury study abroad academic experience is incredible. Living abroad will change you mentally and open your eyes in new ways; lasting friendships will be made,” she said. “Studying abroad is great for those cross-cultural and human connections. The best travelers are inquisitive and flexible. Travel teaches resilience and builds your confidence. Finally, it’s good for the soul!”

Sometimes you don’t know how important something is until it’s taken away from you. If you’ve never thought about studying abroad before, now might be a good time to take the chance while the option is available to us. If you’re interested in studying abroad, visit Drury’s website or contact Tom Russo at trusso@drury.edu.

Article by Sammie Ellis