While many Blugolds travel the world exploring new places and immersing themselves in new cultures, other UW-Eau Claire students find similarly life-changing opportunities a bit closer to home.
Just ask Megan Werch and Tori Thomas, kinesiology majors who spent recent semesters studying at universities in other parts of the United States through the National Student Exchange program.
kAm“xE 567:?:E6=J 492?865 9@H x D66 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE E96 H@C=5[” (6C49 D2JD @7 96C E:>6 2E }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 &?:G6CD:EJ :? u=28DE277] “xE E2F89E >6 9@H :>A@CE2?E 9F>2? 4@??64E:@?D 2C6[ 2?5 E92E ?@ >2EE6C 9@H D>2CE J@F 2C6[ :E 4@>6D 5@H? E@ 9@H J@F EC62E @E96C A6@A=6 2?5 H96C6 J@F AFE J@FC E:>6]k^Am
kAm“xE 96=A65 >6 D66 9@H 3:8 E9:D H@C=5 :D 2?5 9@H 8@@5 H6 92G6 :E] xE >256 >6 H2?E E@ =62C? >@C6 2?5 ?6G6C =:G6 H:E9 2 4=@D65 >:?5]”k^Am
kAm}62C=J a__ F?:G6CD:E:6D :? ch DE2E6D[ E96 ':C8:? xD=2?5D[ vF2>[ r2?252 2?5 !F6CE@ #:4@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 }$t AC@8C2>[ H9:49 2==@HD q=F8@=5D E@ DEF5J 2E 2 5:776C6?E F?:G6CD:EJ 7@C 2 D6>6DE6C @C 2 J62C H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 E96:C DE2EFD 2E &(\t2F r=2:C6]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 DEF5J:?8 2E 2 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 42>AFD[ q=F8@=5D DE:== A2J &(\t2F r=2:C6 EF:E:@? 2?5 766D]k^Am
kAmu@C %9@>2D[ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r2=:7@C?:2\r9:4@’D =@42E:@? @776C65 2446DD E@ 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> 8@C86@FD A2C<D E@ >@F?E2:?D E@ E96 4:EJ @7 $2? uC2?4:D4@[ 2== @7 H9:49 AC@G:565 ?6H 2?5 6I4:E:?8 6IA6C:6?46D] p 3@?FD[ D96 D2JD[ :D E92E 96C 8C2?572E96C =:G6D :? E96 r9:4@ 2C62 D@ D96 4@F=5 DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 9:>]k^Am
kAm%96 r2=:7@C?:2 42>AFD 2=D@ @776CD 4=2DD6D ?@E 2G2:=23=6 2E &(\t2F r=2:C6[ 2==@H:?8 96C E@ DEF5J E@A:4D H:E9:? 96C 7:6=5 3FE @FED:56 E96 7@4FD @7 E96 <:?6D:@=@8J AC@8C2> @? 96C 9@>6 42>AFD[ %9@>2D D2JD]k^Am
kAm{:<6H:D6[ (6C49 6>3C2465 E96 5:776C6?E 4=2DD6D 2?5 ?6H 6IA6C:6?46D D96 7@F?5 :? pC:K@?2[ H9:49 96=A65 96C 8C@H 24256>:42==J 2?5 A6CD@?2==J]k^Am
kAm“x E@@< 2 C@4< 4=:>3:?8 4=2DD 2?5 925 2? ~=J>A:4 ?FEC:E:@? 4@249 2D 2 AC@76DD@C[” (6C49 D2JD] “v:G6? E96 2=E:EF56[ x =62C?65 23@FE EC2:?:?8 H:E9 6=:E6 2E9=6E6D[ H9:49 :D 2 3:8 562= 7@C >6] %96D6 2C6 6IA6C:6?46D x H@F=5?’E 92G6 925 96C6]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 2 C@@>>2E6 7C@> r9:?2 H9@ 6?;@J65 4@@<:?8 2FE96?E:4 r9:?6D6 7@@5[ (6C49 2=D@ 8@E — =:E6C2==J — 2 E2DE6 @7 2?@E96C 4F=EFC6 5FC:?8 96C }$t D6>6DE6C[ 3FE H:E9@FE =62G:?8 E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm“x 2=D@ >6E @?6 @7 >J 36DE 7C:6?5D @FE E96C6 H9@> x EC2G6=65 H:E9 6G6CJ H66<6?5[” (6C49 D2JD] “(6 G6?EFC65 E@ }6G252[ r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 &E29] (6 >256 2 42=6?52C @7 2== E96 A=246D H6 H2?E65 E@ 8@[ 2?5 H6 8C23365 7C:6?5D 2=@?8 E96 H2J E@ 4@>6 H:E9 FD]”k^Am
kAm%9@>2D[ 2 D@A9@>@C6 7C@> |:??62A@=:D[ D2JD E96 }$t AC@8C2> 2E r9:4@ H2D D6E FA :? 2 H2J E92E 6?4@FC2865 G:D:E:?8 DEF56?ED E@ =62C? 7C@> @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm“x 8@E D@ >F49 >@C6 @FE @7 >J E:>6 2E r9:4@ E92? x 6IA64E65[” %9@>2D D2JD] “x H2D 6IA@D65 E@ 2 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E 6?G:C@?>6?E E92E >256 >6 252AE 2?5 25;FDE] x >6E A6@A=6 7C@> 2== @G6C r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 =62C?65 7C@> E96>] tG6CJ@?6 925 2 DE@CJ E@ E6== 2?5 x =@G65 =:DE6?:?8 E@ 6G6CJ @?6 @7 E96>] |J 4@==686 6IA6C:6?46 H2D 5:G6CD:7:65 8C62E=J 3J 86EE:?8 E@ =62C? 7C@> >J ?6H 7C:6?5D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am
kAmpE r9:4@[ %9@>2D 2=D@ =62C?65 E92E =:76 =6DD@?D 42? 4@>6 7C@> 492==6?8:?8 6IA6C:6?46D]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D DEF5J:?8 :? }@CE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 H96? E96 r2>A u:C6 DE2CE65 :? ?62C3J !2C25:D6[ r2=:7][ 2 4:EJ 56DEC@J65 3J E96 7:C6D]k^Am
kAm“pE @?6 A@:?E[ H6 H6C6 F?DFC6 :7 E96 7:C6 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 :?E@ r9:4@[” %9@>2D D2JD] “xE 8@E D@ 4=@D6 E92E H6 H6C6 6G24F2E65 7@C 2 ?:89E] %92?<7F==J[ H6 4@F=5 C6EFC? E@ 42>AFD 2?5 r9:4@ H2D F?27764E65 3J E96 r2>A u:C6] *6E E96 2:C BF2=:EJ H2D @?6 @7 E96 H@CDE :? E96 H@C=5 2E E92E E:>6[ 2?5 D49@@= H2D 42?46=65 7@C EH@ H66<D 5F6 E@ D276EJ 2?5 F?3C62E923=6 2:C]k^Am
kAm“q6:?8 6IA@D65 E@ 2 ?2EFC2= 5:D2DE6C H2D D@>6E9:?8 x ?6G6C 6IA6C:6?465 367@C6] %96 7:C6 23D@=FE6=J 56G2DE2E65 E96 E@H? @7 !2C25:D6[ 2?5 36:?8 E96C6 >256 >6 C62=:K6 9@H BF:4<=J E9:?8D 42? 492?86] x’> ?@H >@C6 E92?<7F= 7@C E96 =:EE=6 E9:?8D :? =:76]”k^Am
kAm(6C49 2?5 %9@>2D 3@E9 H6C6 5C2H? E@ &(\t2F r=2:C6’D <:?6D:@=@8J AC@8C2> 62C=J :? E96:C 4@==686 42C66CD 27E6C 564:5:?8 E96 >2;@C H@F=5 =625 E96> E@ :?E6C6DE:?8 42C66CD E92E 2=:8? H:E9 E96:C A2DD:@?D]k^Am
kAmu@C %9@>2D[ E92E >62?D 8@:?8 E@ 8C25F2E6 D49@@= D@ D96 42? H@C< 2D 2 A9JD:42= E96C2A:DE] (6C49’D 42C66C 2DA:C2E:@?D 2C6 >@C6 4=@D6=J E:65 E@ 65F42E:?8 A6@A=6 23@FE H6==?6DD 2?5 ?FEC:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%9@>2D D2JD 96C }$t 6IA6C:6?46 92D 96C 766=:?8 6G6? >@C6 4@?7:56?E E92? 6G6C E92E D96 H:== 36 DF446DD7F= :? 96C 42C66C 2?5 =:76[ D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAm“x =@G6 36:?8 24E:G6 2?5 6IA=@C:?8 ?6H @AA@CEF?:E:6D[” %9@>2D D2JD] “rFC:@D:EJ =65 >6 E@ 5:D4@G6C }$t[ H9:49 :D A6C764E 3642FD6 x’G6 82:?65 2 4@?7:56?46 2?5 D6?D6 @7 :?56A6?56?46 7C@> =:G:?8 @? >J @H? 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 >66E:?8 2== D@CED @7 ?6H A6@A=6] !FEE:?8 >JD6=7 @FE E96C6 =:<6 x 5:5 92D DEC6?8E96?65 >6 2D 2 A6CD@?[ 2?5 2==@H65 >6 E@ 8C@H 2?5 >2EFC6 :? E96 H2J x E9:?< 2?5 :?E6C24E H:E9 A6@A=6] |J 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 }$t 92D 366? EC2?D7@C>2E:G6 :? D@ >2?J H2JD]”k^Am
kAmq6DE @7 2==[ %9@>2D D2JD[ D96 925 E9@D6 =:76\492?8:?8 6IA6C:6?46D H9:=6 DE2J:?8 @? EC24< E@ 8C25F2E6 @? E:>6[ H9:49 :D 6DA64:2==J :>A@CE2?E E@ 96C 8:G6? 96C A=2?D E@ 6?C@== :? 8C25F2E6 D49@@=]k^Am
kAm(6C49[ H9@ D2JD D96’D 2=H2JD 925 E96 FC86 E@ “8@ 2?5 5@[” 2=D@ 2AAC64:2E65 E92E }$t 82G6 96C 2 492?46 E@ 6IA=@C6 ?6H A=246D 2?5 >66E ?6H A6@A=6 H:E9@FE :E C6BF:C:?8 >@C6 E:>6 @C >@?6J]k^Am
kAm(:E9 8C25F2E:@? 2 76H >@?E9D 2H2J[ (6C49 ?@ =@?86C :D ?6CG@FD 23@FE >@G:?8 2H2J 7C@> t2F r=2:C6] #2E96C[ D96 D2JD[ D96’D ?@H C625J 2?5 6I4:E65 E@ D66 H92E 4@>6D 27E6C &(\t2F r=2:C6]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 H:== 36 D@ >2?J E9:?8D E92E x 5@?’E D66 4@>:?8 E92E H:== 92AA6? 2?5 D@ >2?J E9:?8D x H2?E E@ 92AA6? E92E H@?’E[” (6C49 D2JD] “x’> ?@H 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 E92E 2D =@?8 2D x’> 8C@H:?8] pC:K@?2 H2D 2 3:8 82>6\492?86C] x 9@A6 6G6CJ@?6 E2<6D E:>6 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 E92E D42C6D E96> 2 =:EE=6]”k^Am
