Lynn Aguado, coordinator with the Office of Study Abroad at Michigan State University. Photo by G.L. Kohuth

Click on an image to view a larger or high-resolution version.

Lynn Aguado, a coordinator with the Office of Study Abroad at Michigan State University, loves to see the changes in her students after their international adventures.

Aguado helps students plan and navigate their way through MSU’s study abroad program, which is regarded as one of the finest in the nation. Students participate in more than 250 programs in 60 countries.

“To me, the greatest fun and the most rewarding is to see the development of the students,” she said. “When they come back, you can just see the change. They’re more mature. They’re worldlier.

“Sometimes students who maybe seemed a little shy or introverted, all of sudden they’ve got their heads up high and interacting in a way that is very different from when they started.”

For the fourth year in a row, MSU’s study abroad program led the nation in participation among U.S. public universities, according to a report from the Institute of International Education.

“A trend we’re definitely seeing in the field of study abroad is that students want to participate in these types of opportunities where they have more hands-on experience,” Aguado said.

###