Study Abroad Archives - �۶�ֱ�� University

�۶�ֱ�� Costa Rica Study Abroad Opens Doors to Culture, Language, and Lasting Impact

Office of University Communications — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:09:42 +0000

Alumna Yulia Putnam Shares How Four‑week Program Shaped Her Personal and Professional Journey

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—�۶�ֱ�� University students are invited to participate in an immersive Spanish-language study abroad program in Costa Rica, taking place May 17-June 13. The four‑week experience had an immediate and lasting impact on GWU alumna Yulia Putnam, a high school logic and sports marketing teacher at Pinnacle Classical Academy in Shelby, N.C.

Yulia Putnam

“Traveling to Costa Rica during my junior year of college was easily one of the most transformative chapters of my college life,” Putnam shared. “It wasn’t just a trip; it was a total immersion that felt like a gift from start to finish.”

Students earn six credit hours of Spanish, which may be applied to General Education requirements or toward a Spanish major or minor. The academic opportunity also fulfills the University’s Professional Readiness Experience (PRE) requirement for graduation.

Open to students of all proficiency levels, the program places participants with Costa Rican host families and includes weekday coursework designed to significantly improve Spanish language skills and intercultural understanding—competencies that greatly enhance future career or graduate‑school opportunities. The program coordinator accompanies the group for the first 10 days, and students remain for the full month to complete their coursework and cultural immersion.

Putnam recalled the best part of her stay was experiencing the culture to the fullest—seeing the sights, tasting the food and learning the language. She explained, “There’s just something different about practicing a language while you’re actually living in the environment where it’s spoken.”

The Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna

She also noted that her time in the Central American country impacted with her long after she returned home. “That experience didn’t just stay in Costa Rica; it came home with me and completely reshaped how I teach,” Putnam observed. “It taught me that the best learning happens when you step outside your comfort zone and truly engage with the world.”

Putnam works to instill that same spirit of adventure in her students. She stated, “I try to bring that same sense of wonder and ‘Pura Vida’ spirit to my students, showing them that education is about more than just textbooks—it’s about connection and perspective.”

“Pura Vida” means pure life or simple life, and represents Costa Ricans relaxed attitude towards life. It can mean be used to say, “Hello,” or “Goodbye,” “I’m doing well,” or “It’s great.”

Putnam also encouraged current �۶�ֱ�� students to seize the opportunity. “To anyone even remotely thinking about going: don’t hesitate,” she advised. “You’ll come back with more than just memories; you’ll come back with a clearer sense of who you are and a much bigger heart for the world around you.”

Additional Program Details

Included Weekend Excursions

Throughout the program, students participate in organized weekend excursions that highlight Costa Rica’s cultural and environmental diversity. Planned visits include:

La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Doka Coffee Plantation
Manuel Antonio National Park
Irazú Volcano National Park

Yulia Putnam and the �۶�ֱ�� students pose for a photo before a ziplining trip.

Optional Independent Travel Opportunities

Students also receive one full free weekend and one to two additional free days to explore Costa Rica independently. Recommended destinations include:

Arenal Volcano.
Guanacaste beaches.
Whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River.
Monteverde Cloud Forest.
Puerto Viejo.
Horseback riding.
Ziplining adventures.

Requirements and Contact Information

Participants must have a valid passport and plan their flights separately from program tuition. For details or to register, students should contact Dr. Teresa R. Phillips at tphillips@gardner-webb.edu.

�۶�ֱ�� University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., �۶�ֱ�� prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at .

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�۶�ֱ�� College of Education Launches Pilot Study Abroad Program in London and Paris

Office of University Communications — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:01:53 +0000

Immersive Trip Connects Classroom Learning with International School Settings to Strengthen Global Awareness and Professional Practice

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—�۶�ֱ�� University is launching a new College of Education study abroad experience in London and Paris, with the first group leaving soon. Assistant Professor Dr. Cherie Aldrich noted that the primary goal of the program is to broaden teacher candidates’ understanding of education through global perspectives on teaching, learning, leadership, and equity. The trip also includes non-education majors.

Dr. Cherie Aldrich

“By engaging directly with schools, educators, and cultural institutions abroad, students will observe how different countries structure their educational systems, support diverse learners, and approach curriculum and instruction,” Aldrich explained. “Ultimately, the experience supports the College of Education’s commitment to preparing educators who are globally informed, culturally responsive, and equipped to teach in increasingly diverse learning environments.”

Junior history education major Allie Johnson, of Bakersville, N.C., expressed her excitement about the international program. She has dreamed of visiting Paris and London since childhood, and the chance to study in these cities and connect their rich culture and history to her future career makes the experience especially meaningful to her.

A key part of the itinerary is a school‑based learning placement at Gidea Park Primary School in London, where students will observe classrooms and take part in professional discussions about teaching strategies and student support. “This opportunity benefits students by helping them develop cultural competence, global awareness, and reflective teaching practices,” Aldrich noted. “Exposure to international classrooms and cultural contexts encourages students to think critically about how educational policies, community values, and cultural traditions shape schooling.”

Gidea Park Primary School

Alani Keiger, a senior nursing student from Newton, N.C., is grateful to participate. “My expectation going on this trip to London and Paris is to learn more about the culture in both countries,” she said. “We have the opportunity to learn more about the school systems, and I am excited to see how they compare to the schools in America.”

Midway through the program, the group will travel to Paris for continued study of education in a global context. Students will receive an introduction to French culture and the French education system and take part in educational and cultural site visits, including museums and civic spaces. These activities support discussions on curriculum, identity, language, and national perspectives on schooling.

The Louvre Museum

Renva Barthell, of Concord, N.C., who graduated this past summer from the educational leadership program, is enthusiastic about exploring opportunities outside online instruction and the traditional brick‑and‑mortar classroom. “Through the CEPA Study Abroad program, I anticipate engaging in multiple learning experiences focused on comparing and contrasting educational systems in the United States with those in the United Kingdom and France,” she observed. “I expect to be introduced to new approaches to education that will further strengthen my effectiveness as an educator.”

The program incorporates structured academic components, such as guided reflections and daily blog posts that are designed to guide participants in connecting their insights to broader course objectives. The students will also write a final analysis that integrates learning from both countries and connects these observations to their professional development.

Oversight is provided by Dr. Bernhard Martin, Study Abroad director, in collaboration with Deborah Hill. International travel logistics, school visits, and cultural programming are coordinated through CEPA, an organization specializing in university‑level experiential learning programs in the U.S. and Europe.

Learn more about Study Abroad at �۶�ֱ��.

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Through Global Partnerships, Gardner-Webb Offers Several Opportunities to Study Abroad

Office of University Communications — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:16:36 +0000

Santiago Agreda-Martinez and Jordan Joseph are Among 29 Students Participating in Programs in 2023-24

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—After studying German at �۶�ֱ�� University with professor Dr. Bernhard Martin, Santiago Agreda-Martinez and Jordan Joseph applied to study abroad in Mannheim, Germany. They began their adventure on July 31. Joseph will stay for two semesters, and Agreda-Martinez will be back at GWU for the 2024 Spring Semester.

Martin also serves as director of International Programs at �۶�ֱ��. He is excited to see more students taking advantage of international opportunities. For the 2023 Spring Semester, four students went abroad. In May and June 2023, 15 participated in intensive summer schools, and in spring 2024, eight students will be studying abroad—three in Liverpool, three in Athens, and two in Germany. In addition to the students traveling to other countries, �۶�ֱ�� has four German exchange students on campus this semester—two from Mannheim and two from Trier University.

Martin offered the benefits of studying abroad. “Every company or grad program looks at study abroad in a very positive light,” he explained. “This is one of those markers that makes you stand out. It says something about who you are that you are willing to jump into a new environment and see where you can go with that.”

�۶�ֱ�� also has partnerships with universities in Malta, Greece, Spain, Quebec, and Sweden. Martin noted that students can choose a semester abroad, summer sessions, or short trips. He advised students who might be interested in international studies to start the conversation early in their college career.

“They can come to my office, and I can listen to what they hope to accomplish and design a program for them,” Martin stated. “We partner with universities that teach courses in English, so the language barrier is not there.”

From left, Jordan Joseph and Santiago Agreda-Martinez pose with other students who attended a soccer match, which was one of the trips arranged by the Intensive International Summer Academy.

Agreda-Martinez and Joseph are in an exchange program offered through a partnership between GWU and Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Mannheim, Germany. The school is one of Germany’s largest and best-known institutions for career-integrated dual study programs.

As part of their exchange, DHBW gave Agreda-Martinez and Joseph 3,000 euros and offered them a free four-week German course at the Intensive International Summer Academy. “I have learned so much German,” related Agreda-Martinez. “I met so many people from different parts of the world and became very close friends with all of them. The best part so far is the excursions the school does for the students to get out and have fun. My favorite excursion is the soccer match between Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg.”

Agreda-Martinez, of Charlotte, N.C., is majoring in criminal justice administration and minoring in homeland security, German, and military science. He already speaks Spanish and English and wanted to expand his language skills by adding German.

Joseph, of Clayton, N.C., is a junior. He’s pursuing a double major in international business and Christian studies with a concentration in missiology and a minor in German. “I chose my major because I want to help spread the word of God to those all around the world and to help people,” he explained. “I am getting a business degree to make it easier for me to go into countries where missionaries are not allowed to enter.”

For more information about �۶�ֱ��’s international opportunities, email Martin at bmartin@gardn e r-webb.edu or call him at 704-406-4415.

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Through GWU’s Webb in Washington, Moryah Snype Connects with People Around the World

Office of University Communications — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:09:56 +0000

Senior Grateful for Opportunity to Learn and Gain Professional Experience

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—�۶�ֱ�� Senior Moryah Snype applied to Webb in Washington in 2022 because as a political science and international affairs major, she wanted to meet people from other countries. Her living and learning experience in the Nation’s Capital met her goal, providing her with many opportunities to make new friends and connections around the world.

The semester not only prepared her academically for graduate school, she was fascinated by the people she met. “What I enjoyed the most was hearing thoughts from other people from different countries like France and Germany,” observed Snype, who is from Charleston, S.C. “One of my roommates was from the UK, the other one from Japan.”

The deadline to apply for the Fall 2023 Semester of Webb in Washington is March 10. Accepted students spend the semester in Washington D.C. attending classes at American University and gaining professional, resume-building experience at an internship in an area of interest.

With a Metro pass provided by the University, Snype was able to explore the city with the other students and participate in events sponsored by the embassies. She went to a ball at the Italian embassy, learned an Italian dance and sampled Italian desserts. Snype, who is a member of the GWU women’s soccer team, also went to see a World Cup game with her new friends.

Snype took two classes: Managing the Pandemic and Globalization in Crisis. She enjoyed the class structure, which gave her a glimpse into graduate school. “The professor asked us to bring in articles from ‘Financial Times,’ and we would talk about them,” she explained. “After that, we talked about different topics. My favorite was talking about education.”

Her internship with gave her more opportunities to network with people around the world. The non-profit organization brings together EdTech investors, policymakers, and practitioners to share good practices within the global EdTech community and accelerate EdTech in low-resource and low-income developing countries. Her job was to help lay the groundwork for the alliance’s 12th annual symposium.

Additionally during her semester there, Snype met GWU alumnus Andrei Coley. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master of Business Administration in finance from �۶�ֱ��. Coley is a principal ServiceNow Developer at QinetiQ, a company that provides world-class technology development, engineering research and development and revolutionary products to the defense, security, and commercial markets.

Snype has already benefitted from participating Webb in Washington. She believes that her experience helped her gain admission into graduate school at Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J. Her goal is to work for the United Nations human rights department.

Webb in Washington

Webb in Washington launched with an initial donation from �۶�ֱ�� alumnus, Chris Meekins, and his wife, Amanda, who live and work in the D.C. area. After graduating from GWU in 2006 with a degree in political science and economics, Meekins moved to D.C. He is a former senior Department of Health and Human Services official, congressional chief of staff, and health policy advisor, who now works as a Washington health policy research analyst at Raymond James.

Find more details on the program and the application, here.

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GWU Alumna’s Undergraduate and Divinity Degrees Prepared Her for Ministry in Sweden

Office of University Communications — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:59:42 +0000

Jordana H. Surell (’01, ’05) Shares God’s Love with Everyone, Everywhere She Goes

How did a little girl, who grew up in Hickory, N.C., end up 4,436 miles away, serving as a missionary in Stockholm, Sweden, for 16 years? “It’s totally Jesus,” asserted Jordana Hart Surell. She was 9 years old when she accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord. She promised to follow Him, even when His directions didn’t make sense.

“The first time I heard God talk to me I was in high school attending a Beta Club convention in Greensboro, N.C.,” she reflected. The guest speaker was Clayton King, a 1995 alumnus of �۶�ֱ�� University. King talked about relationships, not his college experience.

However, as she listened to King, she also heard God’s voice loud and clear. “Everyone else around me was cackling, and I started bawling, like huge tears pouring down my face, and I felt the Lord saying, ‘You are supposed to go to �۶�ֱ��,’” she remembered.

She was crying, because the Lord’s presence was overwhelming. Additionally, she had accepted a scholarship and was assigned at roommate at another college, but knew the Lord would work it out. Surell left the auditorium to call her mom on a pay phone. While waiting on her mom to answer, she whispered a prayer, “God, if this is actually what you’ve said to me, then my mom will not freak out on me.” Her mother calmly replied, “Well, if that’s what God said to you.”

Surell called �۶�ֱ�� and was amazed when the admissions counselor knew her name and rattled off her SAT scores without looking them up. She told him she would need financial aid, because her mother was a single parent. It was February; she filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In August, she hadn’t heard anything, and she got the news that her FAFSA was randomly selected for national testing. Eventually, she learned that all she had to pay was $1,000 a year. I said, ‘That’s totally Jesus.’”

Stockholm, Sweden

She majored in religious studies with a concentration in religious education. “I treasure my �۶�ֱ�� experience very much,” she affirmed. “It has totally formed me for the better. I think one of the best things about my education is that I was constantly told by my professors to look it up and figure it out myself. That is one of the greatest things any professor can teach…critical thinking.”

Her sophomore year she received a letter that would change her life—again. The letter invited her to apply for the Scandinavian Caravan, a longtime program through the United Methodist Church of Western North Carolina. She was accepted, and in the summer of 1999, went with 14 people to five countries, visiting 12 cities in five weeks.

“Some of the people went over for a fun, cultural experience,” Surell commented. “I totally went over as a mission trip. I wanted to share the Gospel. The second we stepped off the plane in Oslo, I experienced something that I’ve never experienced before. I felt like I walked into a wall of spiritual darkness. I immediately started asking questions in every church we were in; everybody we met. What’s going on here? What’s the spiritual climate like? I had so many questions.”

She learned that Scandinavia was comprised of some of the most secular countries in the world. “The people have no interest in the gospel and Jesus. I just felt like the Lord was working something in me,” Surell shared. “In the middle of our trip, we were on this Danish island of Bornholm, and I was talking with two pastors at this picnic and distinctly heard the Lord’s voice say, ‘I’m placing this call on your life to serve me as a missionary in Scandinavia.’”

When she returned to �۶�ֱ��, she began to wonder if she’d heard God correctly. Her first sign was the church in Bornholm asked her to come back as a youth pastor. She didn’t take the job, because she thought it was important to finish her education at �۶�ֱ��. “I asked for a bigger sign and it was about three months later, I walked into the cafeteria and there was a huge sign hanging from the mezzanine that said, ‘Study in Sweden,’ and I said, ‘Hmm, that could be my sign,’” she related.

Again, how to pay for the semester abroad was on her mind. However, when she talked to the program’s director, she found out that it would be cheaper for her to spend the semester in Sweden. She studied Scandinavian culture, because that would be helpful if she was going to be living in Sweden. To learn even more about the country, she lived with a Swedish family instead of staying in a dorm. “Having studied at �۶�ֱ�� and growing up in Hickory, it was an enormous culture shock just to be at a school that was known as a party school,” she said. “There were three student pubs on campus.”

The nearest church that was equivalent to the Baptist denomination was located in the city. There wasn’t a bus, so she took a taxi and it cost $30. She couldn’t do that every week and the other students didn’t want to share a ride with her, because they wanted to party. She started praying and did something she had never done before. “I started hanging out at the student pubs,” Surell said. “Every single night, I got to share Jesus with at least one person. It was incredible. I had this open door, because random people talk to everybody when you are in this international program. I constantly had people asking what did I study back home, and where was I from.”

is a state university in the Swedish historical province Småland, with two campuses located in Växjö and Kalmar.

When she told them she was studying religious studies and religious education, they would ask her questions—some she didn’t know how to answer. Questions like, How do you know God is a man and not a woman? Trying to answer their questions helped her to realize that she needed to further her theological education, and she decided to stay at GWU in the School of Divinity. She came back to America, received her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies in 2001, and began praying about paying for divinity school and getting a job. “And then the Lord spoke to me, 1 Thessalonians 5:24: ‘He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it (ESV).’”

Surell worked as a Graduate Resident Director, and she earned her Master of Divinity in Missiology in 2005. One of her favorite professors was Dr. Sophia Steibel, professor of Christian Education and Spiritual Formation, because she taught in concepts. “Dr. Steibel’s test and her way of learning was to give you a blank sheet of paper with one sentence at the top and you had to fill up the whole paper with everything you knew about that.”

She discovered that there were only two mission organizations working in Sweden and neither was a good fit for her. Her first job was working as a nanny with a Swedish family. “The first Sunday I was in Stockholm, I visited a church called , an international church with members from 50 different countries. I was there for 10 years. I got a job in the church as a part-time administrator and worked there for several years.”

Not finding a church or organization to support her financially, she decided to model her ministry after Paul, who was a tent maker. “I ended up working all kinds of jobs to support myself and considered my mission field to be everywhere I ended up and whoever I ended up talking to,” she observed.

Jordana and Andreas Surell

She met her husband, Andreas, at church. They were friends for several years, and have been married 10 years. Their first child, Levi, died in childbirth, and they have a 6.5-year-old son, Josiah, and a 4.5-year-old daughter, Tirsa Grace. In 2018, she took a job at a 200-member church in the same denomination but located in the middle of town. Half of the members are children, and their parents volunteer to help with many activities. “I am the family and children’s coordinator and administrator,” she said. “I love administration, I realized, I definitely have a gift for administration and evangelization. I love kids, especially small ones, because they ask amazingly smart questions about Jesus.”

Over the past year, navigating through COVID-19 has been difficult, and she’s had to take some time off. Decisions that were obvious before the pandemic were much more problematic. She’s had to find the balance to meet both safety concerns and psychological needs for connection and community. The church offered several Zoom sessions for different age levels and was one of the first churches in the city to begin offering services online. With the older children they’ve tried to do outdoor activities as much as possible, like ice skating or camping activities.

Things are slowly getting back to normal. Sweden started rolling out vaccines recently and she got one this month (June 2021). The church also held its first in-person church service with 50 people in assigned seats.

Because of all the different jobs she’s held, people say to her that she didn’t need a college education if she were going to move to another country and work in a café or in an office. “I feel like I’ve used my education on a daily basis,” she asserted. “I constantly get questions and end up in conversations, and I remember we talked about that in school, or this was an issue that we discussed. I think it completely prepared me.”

Jordana and Tirsa Grace

Two of her most memorable professors were Dr. Don Berry, professor of religious studies, and Dr. Alice Cullinan, professor emerita of religion. Berry’s classes were mission related, and the one that influenced her the most was a class that examined how Bible stories are interpreted by different cultures. A class on cults by Cullinan also helps her when she’s talking to people.

“I loved all my teachers and they were just so personable,” she said. “They cared about us and they could tell when we were struggling with something or not doing well. They would take us aside and talk to us about it. That was a huge blessing.”

Reflecting on why God directed her to �۶�ֱ��, Surell said the relationships she formed with her professors and other students were a unique gift. As a child of divorce and multiple broken homes, she longed for a family and security. “I was without a doubt blessed with those things at GWU,” she shared. “�۶�ֱ�� was a very safe space where we were encouraged to think critically and figure things out for ourselves instead of just accepting the Christian culture around us. I believe such teaching, especially among evangelical Christian universities, is rare and something I most likely would not have received elsewhere. I am so thankful for all that the Lord did in and through me at GWU.”

Learn more about the M. Christopher White School of Divinity.

Learn more about the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy.

Note to our readers: This article reflects the University’s tuition and fee schedule at the time of publication. Tuition and financial aid policies change annually. For the most up-to-date and accurate information on current tuition rates and financial aid resources, please visit the University’s official Admissions page.

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Experience as German Exchange Student Gives GWU Senior Confidence For Future Endeavors

Office of University Communications — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:22:41 +0000

The youngest of seven children, Avery Terry of Greensboro, N.C., always has family looking out for him. A senior criminal justice major at �۶�ֱ�� University, Terry decided to apply to study abroad and explore the world on his own. He was accepted into the �۶�ֱ�� International Exchange Student program and attended the University of Trier in Germany during the spring semester of his junior year. The trip was his first time to travel outside the country, and he didn’t speak or understand the German language. However, he did travel with another GWU student, Garret Allen. They made history by being the first GWU students to stay for a full semester in Germany.

“One of the main attractions of the program for me was to have the experience of going abroad,” Terry offered. “I also needed language credits. Everything connected with ease and that is how I knew this program was meant for me.”

He took three courses, a German language beginner course, Intensive German Course and a basic survey of American Literature and Culture. “For the most part, my courses were from 4 to 6 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m.,” Terry shared. “It was a beautiful schedule and yielded so much time for me to explore as well as enjoy Germany.”

Terry, who describes himself as an introvert, said his experience in Germany required him to step out of his comfort zone. “It helped me to tap into my extroverted side a little more,” he affirmed. “It also gave me more knowledge of the culture. Most importantly, it helped me to gain independence, responsibility, and strength away from my close-knit family. My main goal—outside of getting language credits and abroad experience—was to find peace in myself, and I was able to do that.”

In the future, he will look back on the semester abroad as preparation for his transition from college life into professionalism and success. “I will be able to cope effectively away from my family and succeed with ease,” Terry asserted. “I was able to learn a language almost fluently within four months with no prior knowledge whatsoever. Because of that accomplishment, I will be able to tell myself anything is possible when effort and focus is active.”

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