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Volume 41, Issue 7
December 2, 2003
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December 2, 2003
Education week spotlights international
opportunities
event highlights learning abroad
Benjamin
Urcuyo
Mesa Legend
International Education Week passed through campus Nov. 17 through Nov.
20 with its fourth annual celebration.
Designated by former president Bill Clinton in 1999, International Education
Week was designed to attract and promote studies overseas.
MCC is home to over 1,000 internationals, 200 of whom are here on international
student visa.
“International Education Week includes information about our study
abroad programs. We have programs to China, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, and
Spain. Each program is an exciting opportunity for students to learn about
another country while earning MCC credit. The number of possible credits
differs; however, most programs are four to six credits. The China, Ireland,
Mexico, and Spain programs are offered during summer sessions and are
four to five weeks in duration. The Italian program is offered over spring
break,” said Gailynn Valdes, international education director.
“Around the country, colleges and universities are participating
in International Education Week to raise awareness of the importance of
understanding our world. Each college funds its own celebrations and highlights
the international programs on its campus,” Valdes added.
The students can decide to travel in nations that best interest them.
The costs vary depending on the location, number of credits, and duration
of the program.
Students who are interested in studying abroad can pick up an application
form at the International Education Office in Building 41, visit the International
Education Website or talk to the faculty program directors.
Application deadlines are different for each program, but applications
are being taken now for the summer 2004 programs.
“Studying abroad is a life changing experience for most students.
Students who study abroad form cross-cultural friendships that last a
lifetime, learn how to appreciate and understand differences in cultures
and customs, and gain experience that is valued by future employers,”
Valdes said.
“In Xalapa, Mexico, future educators and social workers spend time
in local schools working with the children. In Rocky Point, students live
on a boat for a week studying Marine Biology. In China, students are hosted
by Wuyi University and spend a month with their counterparts. Ireland,
Italy, and Spain are new programs starting in 2004, and will be very special
opportunities to interact with the local culture while studying language
or culture,” Valdes added.
“I have had the opportunity to visit several of our programs and
talk to students while they are on their programs. In Xalapa, I visited
the elementary school classrooms where our students were observing and
teaching. One student told me, ‘This is an incredible experience
that will make me a much better teacher.’ In Guanajuato, I visited
some of the homes that students live in while on the program, and a student
told me, ‘My Mexican family makes me feel like I am part of their
family.’ There are many other stories of students who feel that
study abroad has opened the world to them. One student told me that studying
abroad was the single most life-changing event of his educational experience,”
Valdes declared.
For more information students can visit the program listings on the international
education website under “Study Abroad.” The URL is http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/international.
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