To this day, Sarah Shoulak experiences ongoing professional and personal rewards from her study abroad program of more than a decade ago.

Shoulak, an alum of the University of Colorado Denver and of its Semester in Beijing program, credits her academic advisor, the Global Education: Study Abroad team, and her own determination with the achievement of an “unforgettable experience.”

VALUE OF ACADEMIC ADVISORS

“I was feeling a little lost in my Sociology degree program at the time,” said Shoulak. She made an appointment with a CU Denver Academic Advisor to better understand options that would incorporate the coursework she’d already completed. After reviewing her transcripts, she was advised that she could declare Communication as her major and graduate in one year.

“I asked if they thought it was possible that could study abroad in the short time I had left before receiving my diploma.” The staff worked with her to determine which study abroad programs were available, the credits she could earn and how they would apply to her degree. Another factor was that Shoulak wanted to immerse herself in a completely different culture for an entire semester. CU Denver’s Semester in Beijing program checked all of the boxes.

“I wanted to have an ‘exchange student’ kind of experience,” she explained. Shoulak applied for and received a study abroad scholarship; she felt this was a validation of her intended path. “Standing up there (on stage) beside my colleagues to receive our scholarships made me feel so proud to have been chosen.”

Shoulak chose to expand her international study experience further by adding the extra challenge of “going to a country where it would logistically be the hardest.” With a background in Spanish, she felt that if she traveled to a country such as Spain or Italy “we could probably still struggle through some rough translations across the romance languages.”

“China was a whole new ballgame.”

COMMUNICATION IN CHINA

Landing in Beijing, she quickly learned the difficulties of navigating and communicating; she had taken no lessons in Mandarin Chinese.

“In some ways, this made me very connected to the group of American students I was traveling with,” she said. “I was grateful for the new relationships I forged, some of whom I’m still actively friends with to this day.”

Shoulak found that she “loved unlocking cultural and subcultural cues for communication, regional slang, and other things that you wouldn’t know unless you lived there.” The knowledge stayed with her.

“Even to this day, when I use my Chinese language skills, people can tell that I learned to speak it in Beijing originally because of its charming regional accent.”

BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS

Study abroad programs have been reported as good environments for building friendships; Shoulak found this to be true.

“One of the things that stood out was that not all of the international students were Chinese. “My friend, Gurmehar, and I are still in close contact,” said Shoulak. “She was from India, but now lives with her family in Thailand and I hope to be able to visit her someday - all because we met in that study abroad program in China!”

“It was always so special when your Chinese friends would give you a ‘Chinese name.’” Shoulak was assigned 许莎柔 (Xǔ shā róu) because the 许 (xǔ) character sounds like the start of my last name (Shoulak) and the 莎柔 (shā róu) characters can be translated to Sara(h). 

RESUME BOOSTER

Shoulak feels that she owes many of her career opportunities to the fact that she studied abroad.

During her time on the Semester in Beijing program, a representative from a local company visited the campus to inquire if a student would be interested in an internship for the semester. Shoulak “couldn’t pass it up.”

She learned that she was the first U.S.-based CU Denver student to participate in an internship while studying abroad. Her routine included a morning commute via taxi or train and “being able to experience the Central Business District.” The routine became a part of her life in China, with “good quality time with my co-workers on lunch breaks.” The international technology company where she interned was headquartered in the U.S., which helped to “pique employers’ interest on my resume.”

Returning to the U.S., Shoulak moved to Orlando, Florida, where she applied for the role of Office Manager at another global technology agency.

“I thought the job position would be a good fit, but was worried that I wouldn’t have enough technology in my background,” she said. “I believe that having been able to participate in an international internship during my study abroad program made me a competitive candidate.” She indeed landed the job.

STUDY ABROAD TEAM

In looking back over her study abroad journey, Shoulak appreciates the help she received from the Global Education: Study Abroad team in the Office of International Affairs and from the CU Denver faculty and staff.

“Everyone was very professional and accommodating,” she explained. “I was never left to ‘just figure things out.’ It was even smooth when we traveled domestically within China for a winter break trip to Xi’an, a neighboring province to Beijing where the famous terracotta soldiers are displayed.”

She thought the process from application to completion, both for the Semester in Beijing program and for her scholarship, was “very quick and smooth.” “There were no points in the process where I felt confused or frustrated; from a planning and coordination standpoint, I’m not sure it could have gone any better.” She added: “For that, I am so grateful.”

ADVICE TO STUDENTS

To other students who are considering a CU Denver study abroad experience, Shoulak advised: just do it.
“If you have the opportunity, you will regret it if you don’t go; it will be an unforgettable experience.”

She feels that she gained more confidence by being pushed out of her comfort zone and discovered new ways of thinking and problem-solving. “You will have moments that bond you to people, and experiences that make you realize more about what you do and don’t want in life.”

GLOBAL LEARNING

“I’ve always been a big advocate for international travel. I think that we can only know so much about ourselves and other cultures by staying right where we are,” said Shoulak.

“Whether it’s just leaving the small hometown where you grew up or traveling to a new continent, studying abroad is a life-changing experience.”

ABOUT SEMESTER IN BEIJING

• Earn 12-15 hours of CU Denver credit
• CU Denver faculty; all courses are taught in English
• Chinese, American, and other international students study together in classes
• Located at International College Beijing, a partnership between the University of Colorado Denver and China Agricultural University
• Affordable costs; comparable to studying for a semester in Denver, Colorado
• Open to all CU Denver students as well as non-CU Denver students in good academic standing
• Mandarin language proficiency is not required

   

  LEARN MORE:

   

  Global Education: Study Abroad

   

  Office of International Affairs

   

  College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

   

  Study Abroad Scholarships

   

  CU Denver Advancement-Study Abroad Scholarship Fund