Participant Blogs
Click below to access the program blog sites where, while abroad, each participant shares their own story for readers to enjoy the experience as it happens!
Participant Voices | Profile Posters
Click the individual participant names below each country for each participant's full poster of post-travel reflections, photos, growth, and inspiration.
"I now have more empathy and am committed to making sure that language learners in my classrooms will feel comfortable."
"I began to love the challenge of communicating with Spanish speakers and became more self-confident in my abilities to communicate."
"I want to appreciate education in a country that is not my own and to help my future students - from all cultural backgrounds - to view the world more fully."
"Although I won’t be going into teacher education, the experience was beneficial because it required me to interact with people who don’t speak my language."
"When I learned I would be paired with another Buffalo State student, I never imagined I would soon call her one of my best friends."
"This experience helped me grow into an educator who is better prepared to work with diverse students."
Hailee 2023
"It reinforced the fact that classrooms are full of children with their own stories and their own path in life."
Janinna 2023
"Traveling with a mission to no only educate and impact others, but to also learn from others, can change your view of the world and the communities within it."
Kassia 2019 & 2017
"The Foundation was life-changing and widened my perspective of the world. I work to live so the people I met are not hurt by my choices."
B'ili 2019
"This journey opened my heart and my mind. I learned how to trust. I learned that I can love and respect someone who is different than me without judgment."
Laura 2019
"I had to break out of my comfort zone and force myself to try a new language. We found so many fun ways to become closer without words."
Bryanna 2017
"If there’s any part of you that is curious to see what life is like outside of the United States, you absolutely should join the IPDS!"
Shannon 2017 & 2015
"IPDS provides hands-on experience with unfamiliar things that we cannot learn from sitting in class listening to a professor."
Brittany 2017
"My mind was permanently altered by my IPDS experience. I have a broader perspective on why education is so important."
Nicole 2017
"I was nervous about working with students who don’t speak English. Through our Spanish lessons, I learned effective strategies for teaching English Language Learners without knowing their native languages."
Fernanda 2017
"I was able to reflect on the person that I am and who I want to be. I couldn’t wait to get home to allow the memories to influence my future steps."
Morgan 2015
"This affected so much of my work as an educator. I am empathetic to students who are learning a new language and am able to understand the difficulties they face."
Sarah 2015
"I noticed how many things I could bring into the classroom to make students more successful."
Kendall 2015
"I work at a camp with children from the Dominican Republic. It was wonderful to share my experience with them and to listen to their stories."
Bailey 2023
"The key to being a great educator does not lie in textbooks or lecture halls, but in the frequent exchange of thoughts and ideas."
Amber 2017
"I’m more well-rounded and knowledgeable about other cultures, not just Germany. I can see things from a big-picture perspective and am confident in myself."
Sarah 2017
"I did the things I feared most in a completely new environment, and it changed me in the best way. I truly stepped out of my comfort zone and am so different from the shy, nervous girl who left Buffalo for Germany."
Shannon 2017
"I now can navigate my way around a new place, and not become anxious about being by myself. I am so proud of the independence I not only developed but also became comfortable with."
Jenessa 2017
"I feel that I have grown as a student, future educator and person. For the first time in 20 years, I stepped out of my very small Buffalo bubble and learned so much about the world, different cultures and traditions, and how important it is to keep an open mind."
Laci 2017
" I took the leap and learned that I am able to follow my dreams - by myself - and can make friends easily. I became a stronger person."
Daniel 2015
"Personally, I feel that I have gained a new perspective into the person that I want to be. Academically, I feel that I have grown more as an educator. I have seen new methods and strategies that I want to implement in my own classrooms."
Kaitlynn 2015
"Living with a host was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I did not feel like just a tourist but instead experienced the sites as well as everyday life “behind the scenes,” as if I was living there myself."
Amanda 2015
"I grew as a teacher, student, and individual and found out things about myself that I am grateful to
know. I feel more willing to work with and understand others; the payoff is making lasting friendships and memories."
Olivia 2023
"Every person I came across made me feel as if we had known each other for years. I formed friendships and professional connections that wouldn’t have been possible without this IPDS trip."
Nick 2020
"This cultural experience challenged my views on education, cultural diversity, and life in general, and I feel like a better person after my time abroad."
Angela 2018
"Torremaggiore is so quiet, peaceful, and charming it felt frozen in time! Wandering the town during ‘siesta’ gave me a chance to look at myself and my life and to be grateful for how much beauty there is in the world."
Christine 2018
"The challenge of communicating instructions, content and new vocabulary to students - with my limited Italian and their limited English - only made me a stronger educator."
Nikki 2018
"I had always wanted to go to another country, but was too scared to travel alone. This program was so group-based that I was reassured - by being with others who were experiencing the same things and faculty leaders who help along the way."
Krissy 2018
"I was fully submerged in their culture and learned a lot about the country, town, teaching...and how to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment!"
Catherine 2018
"The children were so welcoming on our first day and did not want to leave us at the goodbye event. I felt so loved, valued and appreciated for being a teacher."
Mary (Catie) 2016
"I learned that I am capable of more than I realized. I was more confident going into student teaching as well. I know that I am capable of teaching a room full of students who don’t speak English and so feel more than prepared to be effective with students in the United States."
Ashley 2016
"Because of the costs, I never thought I could participate in a study away program, but I spoke with my professors and learned how to find funding. Have an open mind and explore your options"
Elizabeth 2016
"I have become more confident in myself since traveling. I am surer in my decisions and am more independent. This was my first trip from home and I learned just how strong and capable I can be on my own."
Elizabeth 2016
"Teaching to students in a language different from their own is hard, but with patience and hard work it is possible!"
Crystal 2016
"This experience instilled in me the core values of appreciation, forgiveness, acceptance and appreciation for community."
Lilly 2016
"I’ve seen how a nation can rise - physically and spiritually - from the tragedy of genocide to rebuild itself into a safe and humane place; I experienced that joy and forgiveness."
Ashley 2015
"I almost didn’t go because I was petrified of acting! Now, I can’t even imagine my teaching philosophy without the use of drama."
Hailee 2023
"Every place you visit, every person you meet...there is a story to be shared. I want to hear and be touched by those stories, and I want to learn more."
Karen 2018
"While talking with previous travelers in our class really prepared me for travel, bonding with the group during travel truly strengthened the experience."
Brittany 2018
"I’ve realized that I feel most purposeful and happy when I’m able to provide quality education to students living in impoverished or struggling communities."
Keiayrrah 2018
"Class sizes were enormous but there was no technology available. The experience showed me that children don’t need lots of high-tech 'stuff' to learn."
Tiana 2016
"Many students were shocked to learn that not everyone in America is financially stable. This knowledge - that America is not perfect, that we have our own problems - seemed to give them a sense of hope for their own country."
Phylicia 2014
"Going to Zambia allowed me a direct experience with an African country, and to obtain an accurate and unbiased narrative of its culture and people."
Molly - Siena 2019
"I feel so optimistic and secure now because, by broadening my focus to the world, my options for employment became practically limitless."
"I had my 8th graders write letters that I brought with me to give students in Colombia to create international penpals."
"..deepened my yearning to be open to learning strategies from other teachers..."
Alumni Video Reflections
IPDP participants share their favorite moments and reflections on how their experiences abroad shaped their personal and professional lives and goals. Check out these inspiring interviews and testimonials!