Interprofessional Healthcare #HogsAbroad in Ireland

Hello! My name is McKinley Kasberg and I am a Social Work major and I got to go to Ireland on a Faculty-Led trip that emphasized the interprofessional nature of Social Sciences and Health. The study abroad was only about seventeen days, so I made sure to make the most out of every moment! The trip was an absolute blast. I was one of two social work majors on the trip, so I got to spend a lot of time learning from the health students. I was so inspired by their passion for healthcare, and even during casual lunch conversations, I was always learning.

On to the interesting! Ireland is a beautiful country. Though not everyone loves the rain, I absolutely love it. Most days we had pleasant weather with highs in the 60s. Some days there was light rain, so a rain jacket was necessary. I am the type of girl who loves an overcast sky because it is perfect to go coffee shop hopping, which I did a few times. I have to say, the lattes in Ireland are better! We ate at lots of pubs. My favorite meals were pot roast with potatoes, Irish stew, and anything involving lamb. The Irish LOVE their potatoes. Thankfully, I do as well.

We had lots of fun excursions in Ireland! The highlights for me would be the Cliffs of Moher (SO beautiful), hiking in a small town called Howth, and having dinner inside Bunratty Castle. The Cliffs of Moher really cannot be described in words. We went on a beautiful sunny day and hiked, ate lunch, and bought souvenirs. This destination is not overrated! At Bunratty castle we went to a dinner theater of sorts and ate a four-course meal...with our hands! The entertainment was delightful, and it really brought our group together. Howth was one of my favorite places. It is a tourist town, but with sweet little places to eat, delicious ice cream, and beautiful views.

The educational aspects of our trip were the real highlight for me. We went to lots of service agencies, which is right up my alley as a social work major! I loved Carebright, a facility which homes people with dementia. The model this care facility uses was specially designed: each resident is placed in a home with a kitchen, living room, and traditional bedrooms. Residents are also given the opportunity to participate in activities such as cooking and making tea. The nurses at the health center emphasized that small risks, such as allowing a dementia patient around ovens and kettles, are worth it so they can enjoy a higher quality of life.

Another awesome opportunity we had was service-learning days. In Galway, we were placed with professionals in our field and went to their place of work for a day and talked about what they do for their jobs. The other social work student, Nancy, and I were placed with two awesome social workers who work for a division under the health services called the Adult Safeguarding Services. We had a fun day chatting with them about their jobs. They offered us tea and made us feel so welcome. We even got to talk to a Master of Social Work Student about what it is like to get a social work degree in Ireland! It was such a valuable experience to connect with other social workers and compare our systems.

Ireland was so much fun. I had an amazing time getting to know everyone and I could not have survived without sweet friends and our awesome professors. I grew so much professionally and personally. I would recommend study abroad to anyone and everyone!

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Social Work major McKinley Kasberg spent the Summer 2022 term on the Social Sciences and Health Professions in Ireland program with support from the Office of Study Abroad Scholarship. 

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Waking Up from the Dream #HogsAbroad in Spain

Before tonight, I had never seen a street performer attempt to play rock music outside the main cathedral in Valencia, Spain. It is not how I pictured our last group meal, but in an odd way, it is exactly what we needed. We’re leaving tomorrow, and all of us are acting weird now that it is almost over. Rachel is crying and laughing at different times. Nicole suggests dozens of ideas for what she should after graduating. Sharon cringes at the shrimp whose eyes are seemingly staring at her. I throw out question games so that we can learn more about each other before we board our planes. Maybe a last-ditch effort to soak it all in.

“Alright guys. Here’s the next one... How are you different now than you were when we first got here?”

We were all sure about this. Studying abroad changes things. Thousands of student blogs online describe new experiences and lessons learned. But what happens when real life hits once more? When you say goodbye to the community you built. When you begin to understand the languages around you again. When your plane lands back in your hometown.

My name is Danielle, and I studied in Valencia, Spain for Fall 2021. For three months, my routine changed completely. I built a new community; I ceaselessly planned weekend travel to other countries; and Spanish transformed from a side hobby to the whole reason I uprooted my life. You adjust, and you morph to new goals.

However, once I landed back in the states, I had to adjust again.

“How do you feel now that you’re home?”

Truthfully, my time in Spain had all felt like a dream. It was as if I had a hallucination for the past 3 months while everyone else’s life went on as expected. I had my souvenirs to prove my sanity, but I still felt like a tourist in my own bedroom.

Therefore, I would like to shake this blog up a bit. Rather than sharing more about my time in foreign countries, I would like to talk about how to make your study abroad last once you are home. How can your study abroad continue enriching your educational and personal life rather than solely acting as a fun memory?

1. Figure out what the experience did for you

Understandably, people may not be able to understand the experiences you have had, and no number of travel pictures will be able to do it justice. So, this is the time for self-reflection. What do you want to take away from this experience?

If you learned more about what you want your personal or professional life to look like, journal about those lessons and continue to apply them!

If you want to hold memories close, collect pictures, combine videos, or write blogs!

Basically, your lessons from study abroad do not end when you arrive back in the US. Continue to appreciate that time and apply new knowledge to old study habits or future career plans.

2. Keep up relationships

Those people that affected you while abroad did not disappear. They are a quick message away! Your American study abroad friends will understand adjustment issues you are having, and they will even be there to live up old memories.

For me, my old language partner adores the amount of holiday decorations that Americans put up in December, so she will be getting a picture of my Christmas tree soon on WhatsApp.

3. Continue practicing those language skills

This lesson is for my language learners out there. Keep practicing! Even if you are not living in a country that predominantly speaks your target language, continue practicing! Watch reality shows in Spanish, read a book in Chinese, text old friends in French. Make it part of your everyday routine and make it fun!

4. Be patient with yourself

Life might have changed back in the states while you were gone, and that is ok. You had weeks or months to adjust to life abroad, so give yourself time to adjust back to the states again.

5. Realize that you are constantly experiencing culture

We usually do not think about our everyday activities in Fayetteville, Arkansas as part of “American culture.” However, so many Spaniards were fascinated to hear about roaring football games, sitting in the sonic drive in, decorating gingerbread houses, carving pumpkins, and taking long road trips. There is still more to experience on your backdoor step! And now, you can see it all through a new lens.

I know that there is an ongoing stereotype of the study abroad students that return and cannot stop interrupting conversation with, “Well, when I studied abroad…” No matter the eyerolls that can come, I’m going to challenge you to embrace your study abroad experience. With a little trial and error, it will continue to serve you back in “normal life” if you let it.

It is time to figure out what that means for you.

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Learn more about Danielle's USAC program in Valencia, Spain.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

The 99% Rule #HogsAbroad in Spain

You’re traveling alone?!

    A mother’s fear peaks its head into our phone call.

¿Vas a ir sola?

    Even my Spanish professor raises alarm.

    As a college-aged woman, the world does not necessarily welcome you with open arms. I mean… there are entire true-crime podcasts dedicated to what can happen when a 21-year-old decides to go to Germany and Austria all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. So obviously, hesitation, fear, and nervous excitement built in my chest.
    My name is Danielle, and during the fall semester, I studied abroad in Valencia, Spain. Nevertheless, when a long weekend came up on the course calendar, I decided it was time to go to Austria. To explore. To find peace in independence. If none of that cheesy stuff, I was going to go so I could pretend to be in my own music video of “Vienna.” With Billy Joel singing in the background, I boarded the cheapest flight I could find.

    One thing is for sure, the interactions that I had on this break stuck in my mind. They made the world feel a bit more manageable, a bit more welcoming. Maybe it’s because I broke rule #1 of those true-crime podcasts…Don’t talk to strangers.

1. I was assigned to sit next to two older women at the Vienna Opera House. One had learned English on a road-trip through America when she was “my age.” The other spoke zero English, but when she looked at me, there was a wish between the two of us that we could communicate. At the end of the night, I asked, “how do I say goodbye to you in German?”

“Gesundheit,” she replied, blowing a kiss.

I later learned she was saying, “Bless you.”

2. Breaking another unspoken rule led to this next one…Don’t talk to strangers on planes (oops). Next to me, I met a woman my age named Melissa. She reminded me of my Fayetteville friends but if my Fayetteville friends were instead studying wine in Vienna, Austria (movie-star alert). That night, we went to get a drink, share stories about life in our countries, and laugh about cultural stereotypes.

The waiter places my drink in front of me and the German word for “thank you” gets caught in my throat.

*Danke. Say it, Danielle! Danke.*

It wasn’t happening. I was too scared of mispronouncing. Of seeming like a confused tourist. Instead, I looked even more silly with a nervous smile and wide eyes.

Melissa could not stop laughing, imitating my embarrassed face. She said, “You need to hear about my 99% rule.”

“Your what?”

“99% of the people in public, you’ll never see again. So do the silly thing. Do the embarrassing thing.”

I tell you these things because I think college students can sometimes take themselves a bit too seriously. Through graduate school applications. Thesis research. Even writing these blogs. We can sometimes feel like little babies sitting in a puddle of professional suits that could never fit us.

Well, the most memorable parts of my study abroad were the messiest. So, from now on, take the trip. Stumble over the new language. Try the creative approach. Talk to strangers.

Just stay safe out there.

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Learn more about Danielle's USAC program in Valencia, Spain.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Fixing my Posture #HogsAbroad in Spain

I wish you could see my blank stare. Gaping eyes. Tense eyebrows. The one that screams, “What did you say to me?” and “I’m definitely not from here.” A facial expression that spills over with embarrassment and apprehension. You become quite familiar with it when learning a new language in the real world, beyond the safety of the classroom.

My name is Danielle, and I am studying Spanish in Valencia, Spain for three months. That in itself sounds like an unreal sentence, one that only shows up in Hallmark movies and cheesy coming-of-age novels. Even on the flight here, I played out what life would look like living in Spain. Acoustic guitar plays in the background, reminiscent of an old, romantic film. I would skip through uneven, stone streets, surrounded by picturesque cathedrals. I would order my usual café con leche, and watch locals and tourists alike live on Spanish time, concerned only with enjoying a meal with their friends or family. Finally, after 3 months, I would leave fluent in Spanish.

The record scratches. The acoustic background music screeches to a halt…I sit down at my first restaurant and look at my first menu in Spanish. It reads:

Pulpo a la plancha con parmentier a la pimienta de la vera y algas wakame

Blank stare.

Elementary Spanish II did not prepare me for this.

As a 4th year psychological science and social work student in the Fulbright Ccollege at the University of Arkansas, I would like to believe that I have a stable foundation in my field. I speak about constructs with professors, test research questions, and apply existing knowledge to new concepts and ideas. However, coming face to face with the Spanish language in its unfiltered, everyday environment, I frankly felt like a child—a child in 2nd grade trying desperately to learn addition while the big kids conquered long division. After the first week, and three more months ahead, something had to change.

I’ve had to adopt a new posture to learning. I’ve had to pull myself back to a place of wonder, humility, and patience. As children, we stare in awe at simple science experiments…Wonder. We ask to join new clubs out of interest rather than necessity…Excitement. But somewhere along the way, within standardized testing and college applications, we can lose the beauty of learning. We place strict deadlines on expertise and unachievable objectives, and then we are somehow surprised when burnout welcomes us earlier than we expected.

We need a new posture. One of enthusiasm. One that giggles when we make mistakes. One that makes us eager to see progress in the future.

Now, please do not misunderstand. Not being able to communicate the miniscule details of life is disheartening, and I fall into frustration. But I think this new lens of learning can further rejuvenate my future academic and professional life, within Spanish and beyond. If you’re not yet convinced, let me paint one last picture.

I am on a cheap flight coming back to Valencia from Germany, a Ryanair flight with the safety of a six flags rollercoaster, and I sit next to a stranger with a shy “hola.” I buckle my seatbelt. I can not remember how it started, but my neighbor and I began speaking…in Spanish. His name is Carlos. Carlos is from Columbia. He is positive that the coffee in Valencia could never compare to the delicacy back home. I tell him how particular the locals are about their paella. We laugh, probably annoying the other passengers. The plane lands, and I had spoken for over an hour in Spanish—something I could not have imagined a month ago. I didn’t have time to worry about exact verb tense, and I couldn’t beat myself up over mispronunciations as I connected with somebody in their native language.

Sometimes, I still get the blank stare when a stranger asks for directions. Those tinges of embarrassment and frustration still appear when I fail to process the speed of Spanish. I no longer have the romantic, ethereal movie filter over my time in Spain. Nevertheless, having patience and the willingness to make mistakes has made learning this new world so much more colorful and vibrant.

Who could’ve known?

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Learn more about Danielle's USAC program in Valencia, Spain. 

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

A whole new world #HogsAbroad in Belize

Hello! My name is Aja- like the continent, and this summer, I spent an incredible three weeks in the continent right below us doing community development in Dangriga, Belize. This program was both challenging and life changing. When most people think of Belize, they imagine big beautiful cruise ships, beaches, and keychains with turtles painted across them. In the southern town of Dangriga, we experienced beauty in a much different way. The beauty was raw and resided in the people and culture. Dangriga is a rich and diverse region that preserves much of its culture in language, dance, and traditional foods of the Garifuna people.

When most students go abroad, they form expectations for how their trip will go, what the food and people will be like, and what pictures they’ll get to post to Instagram. The beauty in going abroad is doing so with a blank slate of opportunity. When you don’t set expectations, the world is yours for the taking. As a student on this trip I was challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally. We had long days, emotionally intensive work with children, had to adjust to heat, bugs, sunburns, and even our bathroom schedules (if you know what I mean). However, these challenges were what made this trip so incredible. In just three weeks, I was pushed to the edge of the brink and have grown SO much as a future social worker and as a person in general. I made a few close relationships that I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life and I truly believe that if we, as a cohort of The University of Arkansas, can make a difference in just one life, then we have had a successful trip. To any student who reads this blog, I hope you look at travel as a whole new world completely at your disposal. Embrace the challenges, love on and pour in to the people, and look at every situation abroad as an opportunity for growth and you will gain more than you could ever hope for!

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Social Work major Aja Pence spent the Summer 2018 term in Belize with our U of A Faculty-Led: Global Community Development in Belize program with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Global Community Development #HogsAbroad in Belize

Hi! My name is Carley Brown. I recently graduated with a major in social work and a minor in sociology. I had the opportunity to do community development as my last internship in the beautiful country of Belize. I spent three weeks in Dangriga. Belize is located south of Mexico and east of Guatemala and is composed of Mestizo, Creole, and Garifuna ethnic origins. 

Our time in Dangriga consisted of serving the local community by providing alternative interventions in the local schools. We taught lessons in various schools in the community. These lessons included topics such as respect, bullying, conflict resolution, self-esteem, and self-care. A week prior to leaving the country was spent preparing multiple lessons for the classrooms and small group sessions. One lesson we found effective was a lesson on respect. Each student made a chart about what respect looks like in the classroom, at home, on the playground, and in the community. Respect and bullying are prominent issues in the schools. We also did small group sessions, which consisted of doing group intervention with students. This was the first year the University of Arkansas students did small groups. Behavioral issues that the students may struggle with include blurting out, disrupting peers/teachers, disrespect, bullying and violence. Our team was able to teach students positive affirmations, empathy, respect, and conflict resolution. Many of the activities focused on regulating negative and positive emotions. As this was the University’s first attempt at implementing therapeutic small groups, students were able to identify areas for change and growth for future student groups including a need for one on one sessions, teen groups organized by gender, and involving the family unit to enable a more comprehensive approach to change.

As a team, we worked with Youth Cadets, those in the community who are facing adverse situations. We spent time doing activities that involved communication skills and emotional regulation. One activity that was effective was group yoga. This activity was followed by a lesson on ways to maintain emotional distress. In the afternoons, we worked with the elderly women in Dangriga. We played memory games and made arts and crafts. During our first meeting we had close to 30 members and we played memory bingo. The women love Bingo so this was a huge hit! The second week we played Belize trivia and made memory flower crafts. The women loved the trivia questions about their country and enjoyed writing life memories on their pedals of their flowers. We also served in a special needs classroom. We read with them, exercised motor skills through arts and crafts, and sang and danced with them. We organized a royalty themed parade to educate community members on Special Needs. They loved the parade! 

Lastly, a few Social Work students had the opportunity to do home visits and hospital visits. During these visits, we were able to care for the ill through emotional, physical, and spiritual support. Rapport was built within the community and we learned about various family dynamics and caregiver roles provided primarily by the family unit. In comparison to western hospice care, Dangrigan care followed more of a spiritual/emotional model as compared to a medical model within the United States. Spiritual support was incorporated in every visit and students engaged in Christian prayer and song with patients.

Through this opportunity to study abroad, I gained a deeper understanding of cultural competency. I grew in professionalism as a social worker by being immersed in a diverse culture. Overall, this experience has challenged and changed my perspectives to become more inclusive.

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Carley spent the 2018 summer term in Belize with our U of A Faculty-Led: Global Community Development program with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Living the Small Town Life #HogsAbroad in Belize #ArkansasEverywhere

Hello! I am a small-town girl from Arkansas with little to no experience in any sort of foreign setting. Belize was an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and into a service-learning community, and I can honestly say these first few days have been completely breathtaking. 

To start, when walking out of the airport and into the Belize atmosphere, I was not prepared for the heat (I was thoroughly warned it would be quite warm but I didn't understand the complexity of this statement). Taking a three hour bus ride to my "new home" was so fun and exciting, and allowed me to see the beautiful landscape and really take in the country I would be spending the next three weeks in. 

I think that the best part of it all has been taking the time to experience every moment and new opportunity as it presents itself, and I cannot wait to see what the next few weeks have in store!
 

To share one of my first memories, our group took a day trip to a watering hole yesterday with a group of youth cadets from Dangriga. These children work alongside with the law enforcement community and they did a fantastic job of showing us around the area. We took a hike into a breathtaking cave and once we were all inside, we turned all of our flashlights and phone lights off and embraced the darkness. 

We took a few moments of silence and then someone in our group started to Call the Hogs. I can say that surrounded by total darkness, in the middle of a cave in Belize, I truly understood the saying of #ArkansasEverywhere and I have never been more thankful to be serving alongside such a passionate and hardworking group of University of Arkansas students. 
I cannot wait to learn more about the community of Dangriga, Belize and I am  so thankful the U of A for allowing me to be a small part of this life-changing experience. Go Hogs! 

Best,
Ashlyn Smith, Social Work Major
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Learn more about the U of A Community Development in Belize summer program at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/belize.