By: Jordyn Gilliard

On September 14 at 11 am Chatham University kicked off its annual Study Abroad Fair in the Mellon Board room. The Study Abroad Fair is for all undergraduate students looking to study abroad for the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Every year, a wide range of organizations promoting study-abroad opportunities each select a representative to come to Chatham’s campus to recruit interested students.  Among these organizations are the Institute for Study Abroad, SIT Study Abroad, CIS Study Abroad, and CEA Study Abroad, to name a few. By noon the Mellon Board room was swamped with students.
First year International and Policies major Monica Snyder attended the fair, and said her “ideal location to study abroad would be in Latin America, preferably in Brazil.” Snyder’s mother is from Brazil, and she said she would “love to go there to experience school, and life over there.” Snyder will be going with program USAC because she believes they are “involved in what their students want to do.” They also offer a program at the same school where her mother and aunt attended.
Second year Biology major Brooke Zimmerman was among the students. Zimmerman says she is “interested in studying abroad in London.” Although there is no clear decision as to which organization she will choose, the Institute for the Study Abroad, CEA, and the ISA appeared to have caught her interest. Zimmerman said she “hopes to gain travel experience, and also get a chance to l live on my own.” This wouldn’t be Zimmerman’s first overseas experience she has been to Australia and France.
Like Zimmerman, first year Management Information Systems major Daniela Becks has been overseas. Becks has relatives in Colombia, so it makes perfect sense as to why Latin America would be Becks’ preferred location. Semester at Sea and CEA are Becks’ top choices.  
Semester at Sea Representative Holly Tawil was one of the representatives willing to give an inside scoop on what the program is. Tawil informs interested students that “Semester at Sea is a multi-country study abroad program, meaning that students will have the opportunity to visit more than one country, they may visit ten to twelve around the world.” Depending on which semester students choose they will be spending weeks on a cruise ship that was “converted into a floating university” with four to six days at each stop to explore.
Also, ISA International Study Abroad provided an overview of their organization. ISA offers semester programs, summer programs and internship programs. “And for the people that have religious values ISA offers Veritas which is a program for mission work. ISA have programs that fit into every major”.
As the fair drew to a close at 2pm, many representatives handed out scholarship information to interested students. The fair happens every year, so if you missed out this year there is always next year!