Congratulations to Cheyenne Freelove on being selected as an IES Abroad Ambassador of the Year, an honor given to only two returnee students every year. Cheyenne is a senior finance major at TU and a Peer Advisor for the Center for Global Education.
“As soon as I came back from studying abroad, I knew that I wanted to stay connected to a community of people who have gone abroad and who encourage traveling and seeing the world. Actively being involved in that community and making a difference to other people has been one of the most rewarding endeavors to me during my time at the University of Tulsa and as an IES Abroad Ambassador.”
Before studying abroad in New Zealand, Cheyenne set three study abroad goals for himself:
- Get to know local students
- Do something unique to New Zealand
- Learn about the history and culture of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Maori people
Mission accomplished: In Auckland, he joined the basketball, tramping, and climbing clubs, enrolled in a Maori world class, and spent time travelling Auckland with Vedic monks. He explained, “I became a better person from going abroad and these goals that I set for myself, which expanded my thinking of the world and forced me out of my comfort zone, had a large part in that.”
After returning from abroad, Cheyenne knew he wanted to stay connected with the study abroad community. He became an IES Abroad Ambassador at the University of Tulsa, and now works diligently to find and promote study abroad programs specifically for Nursing students, Engineering and Natural Science (ENS) students, and student athletes. “Whether it’s specific classes, a restrictive scholarship, or an all-around heavy workload, I knew these groups of people already thought that studying abroad was not possible for them,” Cheyenne said. “Although more difficult, it is still possible for a majority of these students to go abroad if they want to.”
Cheyenne collaborates with his study abroad office on campus to find study abroad programs that work with the class schedules of nursing students, ENS students, and student athletes. “I’m very happy that what I have been working on with my study abroad office has translated into real change for certain groups on campus, and it all started with me being an IES Abroad Ambassador,” he said. “Going forward, I will continue to encourage all students to go abroad, especially those who thought it never possible.”
Originally published at: https://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/news/meet-our-ies-abroad-ambassadors-year#sthash.ub5OP61U.g2haoEtr.dpuf