CAPA: The Global Education Network

Learning Mandarin has been a lifelong goal of mine that I only recently began to seriously work on. I am half Taiwanese, but growing up Mandarin was not spoken in the house, since my father is not fluent in it. This never bothered me as a child, but as I grew older, I realized how detached I was from that half of my heritage, and I was unhappy with the passivity I had assumed up until then.

I am proud to be half Taiwanese, and wanted to learn more about what that meant, both to myself and on the grander scale. I began with studying Mandarin, but this was only scratching the surface. I knew that studying abroad, immersing myself in the culture, venturing out of my comfort zone, was the way to learn about Chinese culture, and ultimately learn about myself. With this in mind, I knew I wanted to participate in a study abroad program in China or Taiwan.

After that, it fell to logistics. My school offered a handful of programs to my desired region so I weighed different programs based on price, location, and course offerings. I was intrigued by the prospects the booming metropolis of Shanghai would offer me, especially since I had not grown up in a big city. It offered a wildly exciting experience, with countless things to do and see. I was also inspired by the opportunity for internships that CAPA offered. I enjoy hands-on work, being an engineering major, and saw an internship as the perfect way to learn a new topic while avoiding a dry lecture hall. Finally, the CAPA program offering through ASU was incredibly cost-effective, with spectacular inclusions. In fact, the CAPA tuition fee was less expensive than the out of state tuition I would have had to pay ASU in the first place!

My favorite aspect of the study abroad program I was on, CAPA, was the adaptable independence the program provided. They were there to hold your hand a bit if needed, but you were still able to grow and explore, not limited by any program restrictions. There was an on-site office in China which was a great resource to navigate certain situations that were difficult for me, not being fluent in Mandarin. They were there to help with mailing things home, recommending the best restaurants, and even helping students go to the doctor's office if needed.

Prior to departure, CAPA was clear with discussing what I needed to do. I was responsible for booking my own plane tickets and arranging my own Visa, but CAPA was clear with the requirements for both, and recommended Visa courier services since I was not close to an embassy.

Once I arrived in China, housing and class registration had already been set up for me (having selected my top course choices prior to arrival). CAPA also offered an internship which was set up prior to arrival and began a couple of weeks into the program. I was responsible for my own meals.

CAPA offered a series of guided excursions while we were there. This was a great opportunity because they were to places I would have wanted to go to anyways, but they took care of all the logistics for me! I, of course, planned and went on my own trips while I was there as well, but I really appreciated those excursions because we went as a collective group of CAPA kids, and I therefore really bonded with that crew, and that was the most rewarding aspect of my study abroad experience.

Did you study or intern abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

Danelle: I studied abroad initially on a short term program in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and then on a longer program in Barcelona, Spain. My grandparents were from Spain, and I had studied Spanish in high school and just fell in love with the language. I have several extended family members in the south of Spain and was inspired to travel there and improve my language ability so that I could attempt to hold meaningful conversations with them. I am still working on that last part.

What aspect of working at CAPA inspires you the most?

Danelle: I love working with students! I am inspired by their goals, dreams and their sense of adventure. I studied abroad a bit later than most, and now really enjoy working with students who never thought they’d have the chance to study abroad, or might have thought it was too late. I studied abroad after completing my Bachelors Degree, and then again after my Masters Degree, and then worked abroad for a semester after that. It’s never too late.

How do you see the field of international education changing over the next 10 years?

Danelle: It has already changed so much! Studying abroad was historically something that it seemed only the children of wealthy parents could afford to do. But with scholarships and with a more diverse array of programs from which to choose, it is becoming more of a reality for non-traditional students. This is really where my passion lies. I want to see education abroad become more accessible to all students, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with organizations that believe in and support this mission.

If you had to choose one, what destination would you recommend to prospective students?

Danelle: This depends entirely on the student. Do they want to learn a language? - Maybe Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Florence or Beijing. Do they want to do an internship? - Perhaps London, Dublin or Sydney. What do they want to study? Each of our locations has unique academic offerings, and each city has its own combination of character, culture and history. It is impossible to choose the one location that I would recommend. If I had to choose for myself, I would be drawn to Buenos Aires so that I could continue to learn and practice more Español, and because although I have been to Europe, Asia, Australia and North Africa, I still have yet to make my way to South America.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering going abroad?

Danelle: Go for longer than you think you can. Yes, it is intimidating at first. But after a few weeks abroad, you’ll wish you’d signed on for a full semester or even a year.

Anything else you would like to share?

Danelle: Make connections with people you meet, wherever you go. Rather than spending all of your time with other American students, go to local cafes, pubs or community events and meet people who are native to the city or country in which you are studying. Taking photos of all the monuments and landscapes is great, but your best memories will come from the people you meet along the way.