Ashland University offers students many opportunities to become involved and find their passion. One of these opportunities is the study abroad program.

Study abroad has been around AU for some time now, but some may ask questions on whether or not it is for them.

The Director of Study Abroad, Rebecca Parillo, helps dozens of students each semester find a place that will fit their needs as a study abroad student.

“I help students find programs that meet their academic needs, their interests, their budgets, and the length of time they want to go abroad,” Parillo said.

For students who may have questions about study abroad, they can directly go to Parillo’s office located in Bixler room 211 on the second floor.

This past 2018-2019 year, 303 undergraduate students studied abroad, and an average of 40 percent of students study abroad within their four years at AU, Parillo said.

One of the 303 students that went abroad is junior sports management major Kimmy Gayhardt. She spent her time in Dublin, Ireland from May 6-13 with the Sports Management program.

“Ireland was extremely interesting…it was equally similar to the U.S. as it was completely different,” Gayhardt said. “I saw the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my entire life which was the Cliffs of Moher.”

Not only was Gayhardt able to visit the tourist parts of Ireland, her time there has given her a sneak peek of what her future career holds.

“For sports management, one of the biggest things that stuck with me is the organizational chart they have for recreation and athletics,” she said “The U.S. is pretty much the only country that doesn’t have this idea of having a large athletic event for adults.”

In the U.S. there are pro teams like the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns, but Ireland is different in that their athletes have jobs during the day, and then play the game after they’re done working.

“They play the game to represent their country and are proud to wear their colors,” Gayhardt said. “We idolize athletes so much here, and overseas, it’s for the love of the game rather than the love of the player.”

Gallery • 5 Photos

Kimmy Gayahrdt at Cliffs of Moher in Ireland

Senior early childhood education and Spanish major Alyssa Srail, also had a chance to go abroad this summer to Seville, Spain.

“I was there for five and a half weeks and I taught at an English learning school,” Srail said. “I taught five days a week and then two days a week I had a night class.”

Through her time in Spain, Srail was able to bring back a different outlook on life.

When she noticed how different her students’ levels in English were, she had to learn a lot about classroom management.

“It was really cool to see older people who have been teaching for years and years and years using my strategies and lessons as an undergrad for next year,” Srail said.

Although many might think study abroad is just for students, faculty and staff participate as well.

Associate Professor and the Chair of the Foreign Language department, Dr. Richard Gray, still continues to travel abroad for his career.

Recently, he presented research in Montreal at a convention that focused on student learning.

“I created a series of questions for each of the readings that we were doing and that’s what I presented in Montreal” Gray said.

Gray had taken a French course in high school to fulfill a credit and then again in college for his language requirement.

“We had a brand new French faculty member and I just happened to fall into a classroom with this new professor. He was amazing and I fell in love with the language,” Gray said. “It was a time where I was looking for something. I thought I wanted to do computer design and manufacturing but no, I fell in love with this class with this amazing professor…French had everything I needed.”

During the time he spent in college, Gray studied abroad in France and the experiences opened his eyes to a whole new world.

“Between my junior and senior year, I studied abroad in France and spending those nine months there really broadened my horizons and opened up the possibilities to me” Gray said “Language gave me a pathway to looking at other people and a window into myself that I might not have had.”

AU gives the opportunity for students to study abroad anywhere they want, and Gray believes that it can be life-changing.

“Studying language has broken down borders from my children. I think that it makes us more willing to go out. That’s why I get my students to do AU in France,” Gray said. “After getting married and having children, study abroad is the third most impactful thing I’ve ever done as a human being.”

For those who may be interested in study abroad, please contact Rebecca Parillo at 419.289.5870 or at [email protected].