Martinez outside Buckingham Palace, London Maymester trip 2015. Photo provided by Laura Martinez.
By Melanie Escalante, The Hub@TTU
Imagine a summer spent in the southern hemisphere: thick coats and ski goggles; endless mountains. Or a spring spent in the western hemisphere as rain falls on you outside of Buckingham Palace: meeting for tapas before visiting La Sagrada Familia; 500 miles away — the history of the Italian Renaissance.
For many students, these fantasies transformed into a reality when their applications to study abroad were accepted.
Texas Tech offers over 300 study abroad programs with more than 1,400 students partaking in the opportunity to earn academic credit in an international setting every year; 20% of those students are first-generation college students.
Study Abroad Office Director, Whitney Longnecker said that one in ten college students will study abroad across the nation and one of the main concerns when making the decision to study abroad is the financial weight it can place on a student.
Longnecker said that while some programs are cheaper than studying in Lubbock, some are more expensive, and some are in between. The study abroad office encourages students to think about their personal, academic and professional goals for studying abroad in order to be intentional about the decisions they make and how the experiences will impact their future goals.
“It’s something that can really kind of give them that competitive advantage and help set themselves apart from that competition once they graduate,” Longnecker said.
Looking at the cost of each of those programs and being able to compare is important and something that students can do with their counselor, Longnecker said. There are a number of different ways students can pay for their study abroad experience. For instance, if students are already receiving financial aid or scholarships, they can use that money overseas — including supplementary scholarships specific to study abroad.
Laura Martinez, Tech alum and first-generation college student who graduated in 2017 with a public relations and marketing degree, experienced this firsthand when she participated in the London Maymester program with the College of Media and Communication in 2015.
While preparing for the trip three to six months in advance, a lot of her focus was on funding. As a first-generation college student, both of her parents worked very hard to try to have her get through college with as little debt as possible and were supportive of her decision to study abroad.
“I wrote a letter and I mailed it to all of my family members. I told them I’m taking this trip, what I was taking it for, that it was going to my education, that it was something I really wanted to do and the opportunities it would provide me to expand and broaden my horizons versus learning in my own city and state where I’m comfortable, and if they wanted to donate I would totally appreciate it but if not just encouraged them to pray for me,” Martinez said.
The contribution from her family and the small loan she took out helped ease the financial burden, Martinez said.
Martinez and Big Ben, London Maymester trip 2015. Photo provided by Laura Martinez.
Joshua Navarro, another Tech alum and first-generation college student who graduated in 2016 with a business management and electronic media and communications degree, said his family was also supportive of his desire to study abroad because they wanted to see him succeed after high school.
During his junior year, Navarro studied abroad in New Zealand. The trip which took place in July, allowed him to start saving months before — the rest paid with student loans.
Barbie Chambers, associate professor of practice in the department of professional communication, said she taught abroad three times; twice in Barcelona, Spain, to teach business communication for a month and once in Florence, Italy, to teach the same course for two weeks.
Chambers explained that the excitement in first-generation students who attend these trips is special.
“It’s not that students that aren’t first-gen don’t appreciate it, but I think that for the first-gen students they really soak up those memories to share with their family and friends back home that may not have had the same experience,” Chambers said.
Both Navarro and Martinez believe the experiences gained from the opportunity provided them with lifelong lessons and a way to provide a new experience for not only themselves but for their families who were not able to attend college.
“I think for them it was also nice to see that their hard work had paid off, that I was getting opportunities, and I thought it was cool that I was getting an opportunity to show them that I was experiencing things outside of just being in Texas,” Navarro said.
The Remarkables ski area in Queenstown, New Zealand. Photo provided by Joshua Navarro.
Martinez believes that the meaning of studying abroad as a first-generation college student has grown over time and that when she decided to go abroad it was just something she really wanted to do, but overall, it allowed her to be brave and display new skills; something she thinks her family was proud of, especially because it was something they had never done.
“That added a level of comfort and safety, so it felt okay to do, whereas I look back now and I think that’s not something a lot of people get to do, and first-generation students on top of that. I couldn’t have done it without my family,” Martinez said. “I had a very strong and close relationship with my grandpa and he gave me like a huge check whenever I asked for this and now, especially that he’s passed it means that much more to me that he supported me going.”
Martinez said she felt nervous in terms of being alone, as she did not know any of the students who would be traveling with her.
“It was a little nerve-racking and something that was on my mind of, ‘am I going to have friends while I’m over here even if it’s just a couple of weeks,’” Martinez said.
It was difficult hoping that the decisions and friendships she made, or lack thereof, would be helpful on the trip, she added. Most of the time the first-generation college student demographic is people of color, Martinez added. She was one of the few colored people on the trip.
“While I was able to create friendships, I did feel that they were like surface (level),” Martinez said. “They were friends and they were cool and they were super nice and I liked them but I don’t know that we ever understood each other from our backgrounds.”
Joshua Navarro said he had never been overseas or too far from Texas. The toughest part of the experience was not having the safety net of being at home and having to place his trust in the mentorship and guidance of professors while leaning on everyone else alongside him.
Taking a one-to-two-month trip was a way to ease into the experience, however, he wished he had gone for a longer amount of time to truly soak up the experience, Navarro added.
Chambers said students on the trips typically hit a wall and become homesick or start feeling worn down; more so after the thrill of going out affects their eating and sleeping patterns — further causing them to be exhausted during class activities.
If students can breathe through those next few days, rest, and nourish their bodies they will regain their second wind, she added.
Joshua Navarro said going into a different and tough situation immediately brings you out of your shell. After the trip, he felt more confident in himself, and his ability to approach new people, start conversations and hold those conversations with strangers.
The associate professor from Winters, Texas said one of the biggest challenges she faced on her trips was realizing students were not properly prepared to engage with their host country’s culture.
In Florence, Italy students were hesitant to wear masks on public transportation since it was such a stark contrast to not only the United States but to the ‘Wild West’ that is Lubbock, Texas.
“That is just, I think, an eye-opening moment for them,” Chambers said. “It’s not that they are doing anything necessarily that is going to cause any issues, but just to realize they’re in a different place.”
She recommends students research to gain an understanding of their host country’s expectations and living conditions.
“I like to tell my students, study abroad is not for the weak. It is not a luxury vacation. You have to get used to having some of those things that you take for granted in the states whether it be air conditioning or being able to jump in your car and having to walk a long distance when you’re used to being able to get in your car,” Chambers said.
Martinez said she and a few other girls were problem-solving while running around the streets of London in heels in an attempt to make it on time to a Broadway show they purchased tickets for in advance.
“I just remember realizing you’re in another country so if something doesn’t work or if you had a plan to go do this and now you can’t, it’s not just, ‘okay well I can just go home or I’ll just go see my mom,’ you have to figure out what you’re going to do now,” Martinez said.
Navarro said he wanted to do something that would set his college career apart from everyone else’s and have what he imagined as the complete college experience, on top of being a first-generation student.
The people in New Zealand were very friendly and welcoming. Navarro said he and his peers often found themselves striking up conversations with strangers at restaurants and bars. Now he works with international companies and can communicate across cultures, boundaries and time zones.
Bag End, Bilbo Baggins’ house from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, at the
Hobbiton movie set tour in Matamata, New Zealand. Photo provided by Joshua Navarro.
“Being able to relate with somebody on a human level even through cultural differences — that’s something that’s really only taught if you actually immerse yourself in another culture,” Navarro said.
Chambers said the most beneficial aspect of the trip for students is to get out of their everyday routine and see the world outside of their little corner — the vastness, unexplored cultures, and new adventures — to get lost and enjoy the learning experience.
“I like my students to realize that they can function on their own as adults and I don’t want to be their mother. I want them to feel empowered to go make their decisions and be able to do things on their own,” Chambers said. “They can always come to me if they have a problem, but this is definitely where they get the opportunity to spread their wings.”
What pushed Martinez, the Tech alum from Austin, Texas, to make the decision to study abroad was the idea of learning by stepping outside of her comfort zone. During her time spent in London, she was forced to be more flexible and adapt to changes.
Martinez said she advises first-generation students who are contemplating or struggling to take the opportunity abroad to utilize all of their resources to make it happen.
“Similar to me, it’s something you’re going to look back on very fondly, and your traveling changes you, but it also means a lot for your family because you’re able to take an opportunity that they weren’t,” Martinez said.
Navarro advises other first-generation students who are in to immerse themselves in the culture, try new things and put themselves out there.
Traditional Maori Hangi dinner and performance in Rotorua. Photo provided by Joshua Navarro.
“Find a program that you’re passionate about, find a topic that you’re passionate about and find a way to make it happen,” Navarro said.
The study abroad office partners with the parent and family relations office, the division of diversity, equity and inclusion office and the first-generation office on campus to make sure families can get the information they need about studying abroad, Longnecker said. They offer information and webinars to make sure people have the support they need.
“Of course, a parent or family member can call at any time to get information about what we have to offer for their students,” Longnecker said.
With the health and safety of students being a top priority, it is required that all students be covered with an insurance policy when they participate in a study abroad program.
Training is provided for faculty leaders and international partners to help them understand the expectations and resources available to them. Longnecker said she encourages students to plan ahead.
Applications for summer programs are open now.
“It’s sometimes already such a huge accomplishment and achievement to be studying and going to college in Lubbock so our first-generation students might think like, ‘well that’s enough,’” Longnecker said. “We would absolutely encourage all first-generation students to really think about study abroad and taking that next step, really pushing yourself further out of that comfort zone to get this really unique opportunity and unique experience that you can really only have as a college student.”
About stephanieturkowski
