Name: Molly Campillo
Major: Double Major in International Business and Global Studies
Minor: Spanish
Graduation Date: May 2021
Interview
What types of international experiences did you have as a student at App State?
During my time at Appalachian State University, I have had the opportunity to be a part of many international experiences listed as follows:
International ASE to the Dominican Republic,2018
Faculty-Led Study Abroad to Spain, Summer 2018
Holland Fellows 2019
Fudan International Student, Summer 2019
Semester Study Abroad at Tokyo International University, Fall 2019
International Internship for credit with a nonprofit in Dublin, Ireland, Spring 2020
Remote Internship for an e-commerce company in London, UK, Summer 2020
Did your time abroad give you a new perspective on yourself and your own culture/country? In what way?
It didn’t necessarily give me a new perspective, but it gave me a full way of seeing my own culture and its connection with the rest of the world. It is easy to live in a bubble, but the world is growing more and more connected every day. I learned more about myself and the US while abroad, not just by seeing similarities and differences from my own eyes but so many other points of view.
What was the most challenging aspect of studying abroad? What was the most rewarding part?
The most challenging part was honestly getting ready to go. I wanted to be really prepared to know as much as possible about where I was going before I went. Once I was there, that preparation paid off, as I was able to jump right in with the exciting activities and way of life in the new place. The most rewarding part of studying abroad for me was the friendships I was able to build. I love to meet new people, and so meeting people from different places makes that even more fun. When you are studying abroad, you all share a common interest in the place you are traveling to, making it easy to bond with people. The friends I made while abroad are just as strong friends now as they were then, and I have many plans to visit people all over the world in the future.
If you could sum up in one or two sentences what this experience meant to you, what would you say?
My experiences studying and interning abroad were so important because I learned an incredible amount about the world while connecting with incredible people who were just as passionate about seeing the world as I am. Studying abroad requires an open mind and a curious spirit, and so going into these programs, you are so ready to learn and experience new things while having fun and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
What advice would you give students who wish to study abroad for the upcoming semesters but who might not be able to due to COVID-19?
I would advise them to do what they can to connect themselves with international students and professors at App, find online international communities, and make plans for future travels. I also highly recommend some of the amazing classes within Global Studies or classes within your major that have a global perspective. I love learning about different cultures and countries as much as I can so that I can have the best experience possible when I do eventually get to visit.
Anything else you might want to share?
I have enjoyed my combination of my majors so much. Double majoring in International Business and Global Studies allowed me to be so well prepared for the career that I want. The classes I have taken have been two sides to the coin of international study. I believe that the world is only going to continue to become more and more interconnected, and developing a global mindset is crucial to being able to understand and more fully appreciate the people and cultures that you encounter and to be able to build the best relationships that you can.