Shaye Phillips, Features Editor–
From the jungles of Madagascar to the rainy sidewalks of Edinburgh, every year more than a handful of Denison students are flying to places all over the world. The associate director for Denison’s Center for Global Programs, Meghan Mason, shares their love for travel.
In total, Mason has traveled to 38 countries across five continents. China, South Africa, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, France, Ireland, and Germany, among several others, are included on the list. Mason is from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She received her undergraduate degree in international studies from Miami University and her masters in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University. Mason got involved with the study abroad process because she loved traveling abroad when she was in college, and wanted to give students the same opportunities she had.
“You get a really different perspective… when you’re living in a country that has a population of about 60,000 people,” Mason said, describing her first experience abroad in Luxembourg.
Mason could see both France and Belgium from her bedroom window at the hostel where she was staying. Her program was located in a tiny village that had only one restaurant. It was an incredible experience that informed the way Mason thought.
“I enjoyed it and I think it really stuck with me even when I returned to campus,” Mason said.
The study abroad process may seem complex, but according to Mason, Denison breaks up the steps to make it easier for students to manage.
“There’s an advising phase and a program selection phase, and this is intended to help students get basic information that they need to choose their top two study abroad programs,” Mason said.
Denison has a limit on the number of students allowed to enroll in each program to ensure students have the opportunity to meet students from different universities. The applications are reviewed on a first come, first serve basis and spaces are reserved for students based on the order that the applications are received.
First, students meet one-on-one with a Global Programs advisor to talk about personal goals for study abroad and overview what the process will look like for them. There are mandatory group info sessions highlighting specific details on the study abroad process, addressing concerns and questions students may have. Then comes the selection phase, which is intended to help students figure out what they want to achieve out of studying abroad. The second half of the approval process includes applying for one specific program, enlisting some potential classes, and rationalizing which program might be a good fit.
Most students who apply are sophomores and they typically start Denison’s application process in the fall, before applying to register in their selected program the following spring. The deadline to start the process is Oct. 29, and once students have applied the deadline for submitting the Denison advising application is Nov. 6. When a student begins the application process on Global Tools, the Center for Global Programs will send out regular emails informing students of the deadlines and where they should be in the process.
“I know that so many steps may sound intimidating, but I think by breaking [the process] down into smaller pieces we make it more manageable for students,” Mason said.
Mason is also working to make sure students with lower income, language barriers, health accommodations, or individuals who are LGBTQIA+ to be able to also study abroad keeping their wishes and concerns in mind.
“I’ve tried to work with different offices on campus to get the word out that study abroad is for everything,” Mason said. She believes that study abroad is a great opportunity for students to develop a broader mindset, and build an understanding of themselves, increasing their self-confidence and decision making skills.
“I love to see students taking advantage of that and grow in those areas. Getting to talk with them when they come back from their trips and how they have changed their perspectives on their life is really, really incredible,” Mason said.
So far, 467 students have started an application for OCS this year.
For people who are on the edge about whether or not they should study abroad, Mason said, “just do it.”
“You don’t have to do the same things that other people have done in the past. Study abroad can be whatever you make it be.”