KORBIN DIMMICK
STUDY ABROAD COORDINATOR
Study Abroad Coordinator:
Advisor or Adventurer?
"Where in the world do you want to go?" Is a question I find asking many students whether they are first visiting Auburn or whether they are sitting at my desk planning thier study abroad experience. It is such an exciting time to be a student because the world really can be your classroom. Sure, there are many challenges that students face as growing, learning individuals, but when else will you have the opportunity to venture to another country and live there for an extended amount of time?
I discovered the field of study abroad through my own international adventures (see pictures and stories below). Each program has had a significant impact on the person I am today. I knew that I would never stop traveling and that I learned so much from every international experience, to the point where I felt compelled to assist students to find their own study abroad excursion. As a Study Abroad Coordinator, I take on many roles in assisting faculty, staff, and students in experiencing the world around them. Which poses the question, am I an advisor or an adventurer?
Hopefully by seeing some of the unique escapades that I have had the opportunity to live out, you too will be inspired to see the world beyond your Auburn bubble.
For more information about me, check out my personal ePortfolio!
How did I get the "travel bug"?
My first experience abroad started at age 14, when I participated in a humanitarian project in Rybnik, Poland, with Teen Missions International. A combined total of 7 weeks took me away from my home in Southwestern Colorado to a training camp in Merritt Island, Florida, for two weeks, Poland for 4 weeks, and then a week-long debrief in Switzerland. In Poland, I was with a group of 20 other teenagers and our project was to assist with construction on a church. Although the adjustment to being away from home for this amount of time was tough, Europe was an amazing start to traveling internationally and I was so excited to get to the next place that I wanted to go to: Africa!
2 years later, at age 16, I participated in a second humanitarian project in Uganda constructing a house in the African bush for 5 weeks. I can't even begin to describe the learning impact that Uganda had on me. I stepped out into a world completely different from my own and made me truly thankful for the lifestyle and opportunities I have in the United States.This amazing experience truly sparked my love for other cultures. While in Africa, my group debriefed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was yet another culture vastly different from any I had ever come into contact with before.
After my adventure to Africa, I caught the travel bug (figuratively speaking, but then again...) and I decided to pursue an international field of study when entering college.
International Studies, Spanish, Anthropology, and a whole lot of other stuff...
I attended college at Colorado State University where I ambitiously double majored in the fields of International Studies and Spanish with an Anthropology minor. Say What? Basically the study of people, language, and cultures, but focused mainly in the Latin American region.
As an incoming student, I lived in the living learning community called Global Village where a domestic student was paired with an international student. I thrived in this environment because I met the coolest people from around the world, many of whom are still my dearest friends!
My study abroad semester took me to Valparaiso, Chile, where I could literally write a book about my living and learning experience (I actually kept a journal throughout the program, so this could potentially happen some day). To sum up the semester in a paragraph: I studied at la Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, taking about 15 credits worth of Spanish, history, and culture classes. I lived with an awesome host family of 5 that housed 10 Chilean university students, so I was the only English speaker in the house of 16! I learned so much that semester about the world around me, language development, and personal growth.
Upon return to Fort Collins, I had secured a position as a Peer Advisor in the Study Abroad Office at CSU. Looking back now, this was the best thing that could have happened to me because it directly led me to where I am now! I advised students on study abroad program options and helped them through their applications, and somewhere along the way, I discovered that this was the best career path that I could pursue.
Last but certainly not least, I was invited to participate in a Leadership and Service Program in Merida, Mexico, with the students from UADY (Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan). There is nothing better than culminating your college years with a program that satisfies your soul. In the Yucatan, I met the most amazing students from UADY, bonded with my fellow CSU students, spoke Spanish at a formal and casual level, participated in service learning projects, sang karaoke, visited Mayan Ruins, and laughed until I cried.
While there were plenty of challenging times along the way, these experiences became the cornerstones of my education at Colorado State, and gave me the skills neecessary to enter into the professional realm.
Auburn Abroad and Abroad and Abroad
Auburn Abroad has been an excellent adventure for me both in the office and around the world. As a Study Abroad Coordinator, I assist faculty and staff develop and prepare for their upcoming international programs. I also work with students in advising, completing application procedures, and pre-departure orientation. It's so cool to know that people that come to our office will soon be venturing around the world.
Part of my responsibilites with Auburn Abroad is going to visit some of our sites abroad to ensure the quality of health and safety precautions by our partner institutions, and to get a first-hand experience of what the student will be going through in their journey to the program location. I have completed site visits to our programs in Germany, Spain, and the U.K.
In summer 2014, I was fortunate enough to be the on-site coordinator for the AU Pre-Freshman Program in Belize. This opprotunity was amazing in that I got to assist an Auburn Professor with the details and logistics while she was teaching the course. This experience was great for me because it allowed my role to come full circle in the development, advertising, recruiting, preparing, and partcipating of the international program.
I always seem to be planning another adventure with Auburn Abroad whether it is a conference or site visit. In the meantime, you can always drop by our office and chat with me about YOUR upcoming international journey!