Expanding horizons: CWRU students and alumni weigh in on the impact of studying abroad
Each year, the Office of Education Abroad creates opportunities for Case Western Reserve University students to broaden their horizons—immersing themselves in new cultures, academic environments and perspectives that extend far beyond campus.
To recognize International Education Week (Nov. 17–21), we spoke with CWRU alumni and students, who shared insights on their study abroad experiences and how global learning has shaped their academic journeys, personal growth and professional aspirations.
Read on to hear their thoughts. Then, visit the Office of Education Abroad website to explore upcoming study abroad opportunities.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Connor Flores (CWR ’24)
Growing up, Connor Flores—a 2024 graduate who earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in German and political science—was naturally drawn to exploring how people remember, interpret and learn from the past. Eager to examine history through multiple perspectives and better understand the contemporary world, he spent the spring 2023 semester studying abroad in Vienna through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) Abroad program.
While in Austria, Flores immersed himself in Austrian history and explored the linguistic nuances between Standard German and Austrian dialects—an experience that broadened his academic focus and steered his political science interests toward the European Union, international law and global politics. His semester abroad ultimately shaped his next chapter, inspiring him to strengthen the relationships he formed in Austria and pursue a future career in education or public policy.
Q. How has studying abroad influenced your professional journey or career path?
Although I am still exploring my career options, my experience has made me certain that I want to pursue a career that involves helping people. While abroad, I learned about a teaching assistantship program offered by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, which I applied for during my senior year at CWRU. Since then, I have spent the 2024–25 and 2025–26 academic years teaching English in Austrian high schools.
Q. What advice would you give to CWRU students who are considering studying abroad?
Go for it. It is a rewarding experience that will push you out of your comfort zone and foster personal growth. There will be challenges while abroad, such as homesickness, loneliness and culture shock, but those challenges make the benefits even more rewarding and also put into perspective the reality of studying abroad. It can seem daunting at times to move across the world and venture into the unknown, but studying abroad is full of exciting experiences and opportunities that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Margaux Johnstone (CWR '25; GRS '25, bioethics)
Interdisciplinary work has always been a priority for Margaux Johnstone, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Medical Anthropology and Master of Arts in Bioethics earlier this year. While earning her degrees, she had the opportunity to take classes ranging from political science to art history, which enabled her to gain a holistic understanding of her areas of study.
In 2023, Johnstone also had the opportunity to study abroad in Rabat, Morocco, where she explored gender and religious dynamics. This experience motivated her to better understand other regions influenced by Islam, leading her to Kazakhstan, where she is now a Princeton in Asia Fellow.
Q. How has studying abroad influenced your professional journey or career path?
This experience gave me the confidence to make the major move [to Kazakhstan] and I felt equipped to handle anything coming my way. My understanding of women’s rights and Islam expanded exponentially being surrounded by strong female professors and my host sister.
Q. What advice would you give to CWRU students considering studying abroad?
If you’re on the fence, just pull the trigger. Never in your life will it be easier to spend a few months immersing yourself in a new culture. Even if it’s unrelated to your major on the surface, the soft skills you acquire will help you in any employment setting. It will never be easier than with CWRU.
Anthony Wiles
Since middle school, Anthony Wiles' career aspiration has been to teach and mentor youth.
An undergraduate history student, he received the Gilman Scholarship award—which aids students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in education abroad opportunities—to participate in American College of Greece’s summer 2024 exchange program in Athens, Greece.
This experience fueled his passion for education, and he later studied abroad in Morocco as part of the 2025 IES Abroad Rabat program. Overseas, Wiles took courses in ancient and modern Greek, contemporary Moroccan and North African and music history. He also participated in an internship, where he taught English at a community center.
Wiles expects to graduate from CWRU’s Bachelor of Arts in History program in the spring.
Q. What inspired you to study abroad, and how did you choose your program or destination?
During my first year, a friend of mine received the Gilman Scholarship to study in Chile for the summer; he encouraged me to apply, and I too, was awarded the scholarship to fund my studies in Athens. While in Greece, I took a weekend trip to Tangier to visit a friend and penpal whom I had met during the pandemic. There, I fell in love with Morocco’s diverse and vibrant people and culture. My sophomore year, I was matched with Kevin Sullivan, an amazing advisor who supported me throughout both my study abroad journeys.
Q. How has studying abroad influenced your professional journey or career path?
Teaching English to middle schoolers and adult learners was such an exciting and fulfilling experience; though not without its challenges, as I navigated language barriers and a new professional and academic environment and culture. My experiences there made me fall in love with global education and teaching English as a foreign language–a field I previously had little exposure to. Because of this, I intend to do postgraduate studies in education, with the goal of teaching in a multilingual and/or international learning community.
Carson Williams (CWR ’25)
For Carson Williams, his desire to study computer science was a natural outlet for his lifelong passion of understanding how things work and finding creative ways to solve everyday problems. Drawn to the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program at the Case School of Engineering, Williams spent a semester abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
While abroad, Williams took a course on sustainability in aviation and tourism on Lady Elliot Island, where he had the opportunity to study reef and marine life near the world's largest coral reef system: the Great Barrier Reef. During course breaks, Williams also traveled to New Zealand and parts of Southeast Asia, which helped broaden his perspective and appreciation for the diverse cultures and people he encountered.
A spring 2025 graduate, Williams has since taken his problem-solving mindset to JPMorganChase, where he works as a software engineer.
Q. What inspired you to study abroad, and how did you choose your program or destination?
I’ve always wanted to travel to Australia and since it’s a long journey (about 30 hours), I figured I should stay for an extended period and make the most of it. My time abroad gave me the chance to live in another country and not just visit as a tourist.
Q. What advice would you give to CWRU students who are considering studying abroad?
It’s a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture, gain independence and see the world from a different perspective. If you have the chance, I highly recommend taking it.
Kathy Perevosnik (CWR ’95)
When Kathy Perevosnik was in high school, a simple slime-making project in her honors chemistry class sparked a deeper fascination with the subject. That enthusiasm led her to enroll in an intro to polymers course—an experience that encouraged her to push boundaries and ultimately inspired her to study macromolecular science and engineering at CWRU.
From 1993 to 1994, Perevosnik took her education abroad, studying at Lancaster University in England as part of the Junior Year Abroad (JYA) program. There, she formed friendships with international students from Italy, Germany, England and Denmark, expanding her academic and cultural perspectives.
After graduating in 1995, Perevosnik relocated to Nebraska for her first job. Since then, she’s gone on to work for various global companies, including Advanced Elastomer Systems (now ExxonMobil Chemical), Prysmian Cables and Tenneco.
Q. What inspired you to study abroad, and how did you choose your program or destination?
I grew up in the Greater Cleveland area and felt the need to be somewhere else for a while. As an engineer, I wanted to be in an English-speaking country. Back then, before the World Wide Web, we had videos to watch and I distinctly recall there being cows on the video of Lancaster University, which was quite a change from CWRU.
Q. How has studying abroad influenced your professional journey or career path?
The consistent thread is experiencing new locations and international companies, often with direct managers in different countries and being adaptable. I was the first one of the kids I grew up with to graduate and leave the Cleveland area. I went from my close-knit neighborhood to a state 800 miles away by myself. JYA gave me the confidence to do that. Since that time, I have lived in nine other states and moved around quite a lot. I know I can meet friends and figure out a new location because of my study abroad experience. I love to travel and am willing to go by myself.
Shyanne Urban
After hearing how profoundly studying abroad had shaped her peers, Shyanne Urban, a third-year Master of Social Work student with a concentration in Substance Use Disorders and Recovery, wanted to experience it for herself. That interest led her to join the Invisible Groups in a New Poland program, taking her to Poznań, Poland.
While abroad, Urban—who will graduate this spring—visited a range of community-focused sites, including a homeless shelter, a substance use disorder treatment program and an institution for children with disabilities. Although she already had experience in homeless services and harm reduction advocacy, Urban credits her time in Poland as an experience that expanded her worldview.
Q. How has studying abroad influenced your professional journey or career path?
I had the opportunity to give a presentation at Adam Mickiewicz University, a Polish university in Poznan, where we discussed with other social workers how access to care and what discrimination and stigma looks like in Poland. This further sparked an existing interest that I had in pursuing education while reinforcing the need to continue to be a lifelong learner myself. I believe that the best social workers are those who are culturally aware and continue to learn about how the work that we do impacts different populations.
Q. What advice would you give to CWRU students who are considering studying abroad?
Fundraise, ask family or work with financial aid on scholarships. We have so much support to tap into here at CWRU to enrich our experiences that you owe it to yourself to explore new things and push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
