Education abroad alumni go on to excel in graduate and professional school, participate in the Fulbright program, and lead successful careers in global and international organizations. Read on for stories from some of our outstanding alums.
30 Under 30 Honorees
Our article in International Insight 2020 features recipients of Temple's 30 Under 30 award whose study abroad experience propelled their career success.
An Intercultural Conversation with Owls around the World
Hear from Temple alumni about how their international experience impacted life after Temple.
Tom Kuklinski (CLA '20), Taiwan Exchange, Academic Year 2018-2019
Landed a Fulbright Research Grant to China 2020-2021
As a religion and Chinese major, and an active participant in the Confucius Institute at Temple, Tom knew he wanted to choose a program that would allow him to study the Chinese language and experience Taiwanese culture firsthand. As part of his final research project on the digital humanities and historic preservation, Tom flew drones in the mountains outside of Taipei: tinyurl.com/Explore-Taiwan.
“Toward the end of my time in Taiwan, I was sitting in the back of a truck after a long day of field research. At that moment, studying abroad wasn’t just an eye-opening experience, but an affirming one. It gave me the confidence to go forward and do research myself. I knew that pursuing a Fulbright Research grant was exactly what I wanted to do after graduation.”
Lulu Peach (CST ’19), New Zealand, Fall 2017
Gained confidence and independence
Lulu attributes her certainty in choosing to pursue a master of forestry degree at Northern Arizona University to her study abroad experience in New Zealand. In her master’s program, Lulu is studying how American Indian environmental tradition shapes environmental management in the western U.S.
“After living in three different countries in the span of one year, residing with once complete strangers, and learning more about myself abroad than I thought was possible, I know that my new home in Arizona is going to fit like a glove. I really don’t know if I would have had the confidence to make such grown-up moves right after graduating without studying abroad."
Read Lulu's blog post, How To…Use a Study Abroad Experience To Guide Your Life Post-Grad.
Samantha Porter (CLA ’19), Temple Rome Fall 2017
Got a scholarship for law school
Currently enrolled at Michigan State Law School, Samantha attributes her admission and remarkable financial aid package largely to her study abroad experience. While abroad in Rome (Fall 2017), Samantha studied Italian, tutored at a local high, navigated an unfamiliar city, and immersed herself in the local culture.
“I learned a lot more about myself, my interests, and what I wanted to do… I was able to tie it all together into my personal statement for law school, and that actually led to me getting a 95% tuition scholarship from MSU, as well as a personal letter from the dean on my acceptance actually citing how awesome my time abroad sounded and how much it helped MSU make their decision.”