Students Engage with the World Through SUNY Plattsburgh Study Abroad and Exchanges Programs

Study abroad programs give students more than a chance to visit a foreign country for the cost of tuition, says SUNY Plattsburgh Global Education Office Director Andy Lang.

“Study abroad gives students the chance to become more engaged with the world and talk about the global presence,” Lang said.

Lang arrived on campus in 2023 to take the reins as GEO director Jackie Vogl, who spent some 30 years in global education, retiring as director and associate vice president of global education. But it wasn’t Lang’s first foray into SUNY Plattsburgh’s study abroad program: He spent four years, from 2005 to 2009, as manager of study abroad and exchanges.

When he returned to campus, it was while the world was still dealing with the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, especially where travel was concerned.

“Our engagement had been disrupted, but it’s coming back,” Lang said.

Hundreds of Programs in SUNY

The State University of New York offers 600-plus study abroad programs in about 60 countries. As such, students at any SUNY can participate in programs through any of the colleges and universities in the system, which opens up opportunities for studying beyond those offered on a student’s home campus, Lang said.

Lang said that SUNY Plattsburgh students who are considering a study-abroad semester or, in some cases, an academic year, will pay local tuition and fees regardless of the program they’re registering for. SUNY Plattsburgh offers opportunities to study in Canada, England, France, Spain, Japan and Australia, but more than that, students here can study at any of programs offered by SUNY sister-colleges and universities.

Lang said that for SUNY, the study abroad program is a cost-effect way to prevent duplication of services while still giving students the chance to choose a program at hundreds of schools in dozens of countries around the world.

Elizabeth LeRoy, an environmental science major from Malone, N.Y., did just that, choosing Copenhagen, Denmark as her destination.

“I would absolutely do it again,” she said. Anyone considering a similar experience should “just take the step and go,” she said. “The scariest things are the best experiences. I learned that life is short and to take every opportunity possible and that stepping out of your comfort zone can have amazing results.”

‘Best Memories’ Made Abroad

Breeley Rawls, a double major in political science and law and justice from Acra, N.Y., studied at the University of Lancashire for the spring 2026 semester and said that “some of my best memories were made over there.”

Rawls said she would tell any of her SUNY Plattsburgh classmates who were considering a study-abroad program to “just go for it.”

“Don’t second-guess yourself; you won’t regret it. Though living in another country for a semester seems very intimidating, it really isn’t that bad,” she said. “You learn, and you grow. By the end (of the semester), you become far more independent than you ever were before.

“In fact, that is what I learned,” Rawls said. “From navigating foreign airports to foreign roads, I learned how to really stand on my own two feet. Yes, being in college instills some independence in you, but it is nothing compared to navigating a new country on your own. I feel my time in the United Kingdom was a pivotal part in me really becoming an adult.”

Kaiya Kilbon, double major in gender and women’s studies and law and justice from Williston, Vt., said she’ll be studying at Keel University in the United Kingdom in the spring.

“I chose to study away because it gives me an opportunity to be independent and grow as a person and a student,” she said. “I think everyone should consider (studying) away because it’s an amazing opportunity for a reasonable price.”

Make Plans Early

But timing is everything, Lang said.

“Students considering a semester abroad need to start planning early,” he said. “Starting the process senior year is too late.”

Students begin by “having a couple of conversations in our office,” Lang said. “We explain the process, we ask where they want to go, what classes do they want to take.”

Lang said that “a lot of students come in not knowing where they want to go and what they plan to study.”

“They may want to study the sciences, and they want to go to Italy, but they don’t speak Italian. There aren’t a lot of offerings,” he said.

Short Programs Available

Students who are on the fence about taking a dive into a full semester in another country can also investigate shorter, faculty-led programs that last a couple of weeks. These trips are often tied to a course and take place at the beginning or end of the semester or during breaks. Unlike the SUNY-wide opportunities, these programs are only available to SUNY Plattsburgh students.

There are also programs available during summer and winter breaks and also vary in length. These programs can give students what Lang called “a sort of soft launch in terms of a multicultural experience.”

“Sometimes these short experiences can lead students to wanting a semester-long program,” Lang said.

Ultimately, though, what he and his office don’t want to see is for students’ first international experience “to be when they’re entering the workforce. It’s so important for them to view the world, to see how the world views us and to engage in cultures that are different from their own,” he said.

The Forum on Education Abroad maintains that those who have studied abroad report having higher earnings than their peers who have not studied overseas, have more opportunities to build crucial job skills, and have an easier time getting their first job.

National Student Exchange

Lang said that even if a student doesn’t want to go overseas for a program, they can still get a study-away experience through the National Student Exchange, which places a student at a fellow institution across the United States.

Lang is no stranger to the National Student Exchange program — it’s what he was in charge of when he was first on campus 20 years ago.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with a national exchange program,” he said. “But when you see our students go elsewhere or others come here, you realize that it doesn’t matter if students are traveling abroad or within the United States. What matters is what interests them and what the best place is to do it.”

Business administration major and South Salem, N.Y., native Olivia Addorisio participated in the National Student Exchange program through the University of Hawaii Manoa in Oahu.

“I took political science and Hawaiian classes at the campus,” Addorisio said. “(It) was a beautiful learning experience. Making connections with people (from) around the world is a really cool way to learn about other cultures and their stories.”

For anyone considering a study-away experience, Addorisio recommended doing the research.

“Find out what you want to do; reach out to people who are also doing the program because another person going through the same experience is a connection,” she said.

Addorisio’s profound experiences learning about Hawaiian culture and beliefs “taught me to look more inward, to focus on personal growth and to become more mindful of the energy I put out into the world,” she said. “It also taught me to have a deeper respect for the land and to view it as something living and deserving of the same care as a person.”

For more information on study abroad and exchanges and the Global Education Office programs, call 518-564-3287, email [email protected] or visit https://www.plattsburgh.edu/current-students/international/staff.html.

— By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs; File Photos