Wolfpack Wanderlust
For NC State Study Abroad students, the sky’s the limit.
Illustrations by Alexandra Wong.
NC State students study chemistry in Dabney Hall, take English in Tompkins Hall and learn about business in Nelson Hall. But these days, more and more of them are learning in classrooms all over the world — in cities such as Quito, Ecuador; Helsinki, Finland; and Tokyo, Japan.
The Study Abroad program at NC State has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings in 1979, when it was based in Alexander International Residence Hall and sent a few dozen students off to study in foreign countries. Today, nearly 2,000 students go abroad every year — some for a semester, some for a few weeks — and 25 % of all students will have studied abroad by graduation.
The benefits are huge, says Amy Conger, vice provost for global engagement. “In addition to language skills and navigating a new country and a new city, the experience prompts students to be more resourceful and to be open to unexpected experiences,” Conger says. Students can see how challenges we all face are addressed around the world, she says, “and then bring that learning back home to Raleigh, to North Carolina, to the United States.”
The growth in the program is due in part to the wide variety of offerings and to the fact that more scholarships are available for students with limited resources, allowing students from almost any major to participate, without delaying graduation.
In recent years, options to study abroad have expanded beyond liberal arts majors, Conger says. Today, students in fields ranging from business to engineering to natural resources can go abroad, “seeing how different places solve problems, how they build infrastructure, how they make things work.’’
Scholarship money available to students includes the Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship, launched 11 years ago by Chancellor Randy Woodson. In 2023–24, the fund distributed some $500,000 in scholarships. The program is designed to serve students who could not afford to go otherwise and those who are underrepresented, and the money comes from the University’s Greatest Needs Fund, made possible by private donors. “It’s tough for families who have enough for the tuition to go here but are not in a position to cover added costs like airfare,’’ says Julia Kisner Law, director of Study Abroad.
As for Conger, she understands firsthand the mission of making studying abroad affordable. As a first-generation college student, she had to work part time while in school. “Study abroad was discouraged. My family was concerned it would delay graduation and it would add to costs,” she says. “There was the perception that it was something wealthier students did.”
But once in graduate school, she more than made up for it. Conger worked as a student teacher in Mexico, did field work for her dissertation in South Africa and had a Ph.D. fellowship in the Republic of Kurdistan. Then she got a Fulbright to study in Japan. “I got bit,” she says. “If a student takes that first step through a well-organized and structured study abroad program, it will open doors later.”
Passport Profiles
Grant Wooten ’24 — Florence, Italy
Grant Wooten ’24 of Tryon, N.C., majored in sport management and human biology. He worked two seasons as a student athletic trainer for the football team. He studied in Florence, Italy, in spring 2023, taking courses including global sport management, pottery, Greek and Roman mythology, and travel writing. During his semester, he was able to travel to Venice, Rome and Switzerland, and was in London for coronation week.
Inspiration to study abroad: “I had two friends who were going, and I started looking up pictures. It’s Italy, it’s gorgeous, and I realized it’s what I want to do. I grew up in a low-income family, and we didn’t do a lot of traveling.”
Favorite food: “Pizza. I’ve always loved pizza. All the food was amazing, especially the gelato.”
What he admired about the culture: “People weren’t in a rush all the time. It wasn’t so draining. It was a lot more about enjoying the day to day instead of getting through the day. People would go to parks, sit by the river — it’s very much go with the flow.”
Souvenirs: “The pottery I made. I was most proud of that. I also kept maps and business cards and whatever knickknacks I could find from where we went.”
People weren’t in a rush all the time. It wasn’t so draining. It was a lot more about enjoying the day to day instead of getting through the day.
Laicie Ray — Havana, Cuba
Laicie Ray of Harrisburg, Pa., is majoring in biochemistry and international studies with a minor in Spanish. She received a Chancellor’s Scholarship and spent two weeks in Havana, Cuba, studying the agricultural, environmental and sociopolitical histories of Cuba.
Inspiration to study abroad: “I had not had that opportunity growing up. I did a mission trip with my church, but I knew I wanted to explore the world.”
I had not had that opportunity growing up. I did a mission trip with my church, but I knew I wanted to explore the world.
What surprised her: “How safe it was. With Cuba, you hear about corruption and there’s a negative narrative. But in my host home, children played outside by themselves until 11:00 at night. The people there are so kind.”
Favorite food: “The staple for me and my classmates, called ropa vieja. It translates to ‘old clothing.’ Every restaurant had it. It was kind of the chicken tenders of Cuba — if you don’t want to try something new, there’s ropa vieja. It’s roast beef with vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, served with plantains, rice and black beans.”
What she admired about the culture: “The pride that they have as Cuban people. … Generally as a people, they are pretty optimistic. You would think, ‘Oh my goodness, their food is rationed.’ But people weren’t complaining; people were out dancing, playing instruments.”
Souvenirs: “Pins with the Cuban flag for my siblings, lots of postcards, a book on Fidel Castro in Spanish. My mom loves to collect magnets, so lots of magnets. And personalized fans for my mother and grandmother with their names on them.”
Laura Fuller — Paris, France; Stellenbosch, South Africa
Laura Fuller, who lives in Pittsboro, N.C., is getting her MBA. Fuller took 10 years off to raise her children and now works full time at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. She studied in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in June 2023, taking a management course on leadership, and in Paris, France, in spring 2024, where she took a class on negotiating. When she went to South Africa, it was the first time she had ever traveled alone.
Inspiration to study abroad : “I had a seventh-grade geography teacher: she was a single woman. She had pictures of herself in the classroom, all over the world, traveling on her own … the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China. I thought, ‘I want to go places, too.’”
I had a seventh-grade geography teacher. . . She had pictures of herself in the classroom, all over the world, traveling on her own … the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China. I thought, ‘I want to go places, too.’
What surprised her: “In South Africa, the wild animals. There would be baboons on the side of the road stopping traffic. I love original art, and it was so easy to find in both places — Paris and South Africa — and fairly inexpensive.”
What she admired about the culture: “In South Africa, they practice generational living. Children, parents and grandparents are in the same house, sometimes tight quarters. We lose something here when we don’t spend enough time with older generations.”
Souvenirs: “From South Africa, wooden spoons made of acacia wood with a bone inlay. From Paris, scarves from thrift stores, jewelry and art.”
Phil Vasto — Stellenbosch, South Africa
Phil Vasto is a chemical engineering major from Brooklyn, N.Y. A transfer student who entered NC State in 2023, he was already an experienced traveler. Vasto spent the spring of 2024 studying at Stellenbosch University outside of Cape Town. He was able to take required courses for his major, including chemical thermodynamics, reactor engineering and heat transfer.
Favorite food: “They have a barbecue, called a braai in Afrikaans. … It’s a fun way of getting together in your neighborhood. All the locals do it, so we started to do it on our dorm grounds where we have a backyard grill. Everyone brings meat and steaks. Believe me, the beef cuts are amazing.”
What he admired about the culture: “I really enjoy the diversity of Cape Town … so many different kinds of people. My mother’s Puerto Rican and my father’s Italian. Coming from New York, I am used to meeting people from other cultures. South Africa has, like, 12 official languages.”
Souvenirs: “Wine for everyone. My mom, she likes the fridge magnets. Give her a postcard and fridge magnet, she’ll be happy.”
What they call ‘load shedding.’ About an hour or two hours every day there is a planned power outage. … It’s generally accepted as a way of life.
What surprised him: “What they call ‘load shedding.’ About an hour or two hours every day there is a planned power outage. The university has generators, and there’s an app to navigate so you know when it’s going to happen. But if you’re in town, the lights will go out if it’s night, the air conditioners will go off. It’s generally accepted as a way of life.”
Gianni Dixon ’24 — Prague, Czech Republic
Gianni Dixon ’24 of Greenville, N.C, grew up in the Miami, Fla., area and majored in science, technology and society. She spent the summer of 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic, where she studied Czech language and culture and Czech food and society. The trip was her first time on a plane. “I didn’t even know the steps to get on a plane,” she says. “I thought you just go there and tell them where you’re going.”
Inspiration to study abroad: “I always wanted to study abroad. In the Miami area, it was a melting pot of cultures. I was on the Latin American studies track, but then over the course of college I found I had an interest in other parts of the world. I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and explore eastern Europe.”
Favorite food: “I really did like their version of schnitzel. I thought it was just going to be fried flat chicken. … We studied the history of food in the Czech Republic and made Czech dishes like lentil soup and potato pancakes.”
What she’d bring back to the United States: “The public transportation. It was so amazing.”
The public transportation. It was so amazing.
What surprised her: “The Roma culture. We studied migration patterns and talked about how the Roma people in the Czech Republic did a lot of the hands-on work. I would walk around and see them on construction sites. Their families would come and bring them lunch. It was very community oriented.”
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