Guiding students toward confidence through global learning

When Shelly Bartosek talks about study abroad, she isn’t describing trips—she’s describing transformation. As a business communication faculty member, Bartosek brings a rare blend of industry experience, educational leadership, and deep empathy for the student journey. Her passion for global learning is rooted in her own story and shaped by years of guiding students toward confidence and connection.

“I wasn’t brave enough to study abroad as an undergrad,” she said. “I came from Midland, Michigan. I can greatly appreciate what many of these kids feel. I can feel it, because I lived it.”

A philosophy built on emerging adulthood and real-world transition

Bartosek’s doctoral work focused on transition theory and emerging adult theory—scholarship that shapes how she sees her students. She understands college as a pivotal developmental period, a space where students learn to lead their own lives rather than simply follow instructions. That perspective shapes everything from her classroom teaching to her approach to study abroad programs.

“These folks are emerging,” she said. “It’s not like you just landed here and decided at a spontaneous drop of a hat to become a student. You’ve been evolving and making those choices.”

She connects that work to business contexts, helping students articulate their strengths, develop self-awareness, and navigate the complexity of early career life.

“Look at your positive strengths and celebrate them,” she said. “Lean into them. Put them on your résumé. Talk about them.”

The power of small-group travel

Bartosek describes faculty-led study abroad—especially BIS 342WI—as a unique learning ecosystem where students practice independence, teamwork, reflection, and resilience.

“When you take this faculty-led study abroad experience, and how it’s designed in creating small communities of learning, it’s almost a microcosm of the best of simulations, active learning, and residential college,” she said. “All of that in a little bag, and you go.”

For Bartosek, these experiences build the exact capacities students need to thrive today: confidence, adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to self-advocate.

Mentoring through connection and courage

Students often return from Bartosek’s programs speaking not just about the countries they visited, but about what they learned about themselves. She attributes that to intentional relationship-building.

“It is the responsibility of the student to get out of the experience what they would like,” she said. “But the piece of it that I love is helping them step into that confidence.”

Her mentoring extends far beyond travel. Whether she’s coaching students on team dynamics, helping them navigate self-doubt, or encouraging them to stretch into new experiences, she approaches each conversation with empathy.

“I’ve spent 40 years of my life feeling like I didn’t fit and didn’t belong,” she shared. “So here we are in this new space where we can receive students with empathy, care, and compassion and put tools in their toolbox that help them get there.”

Connecting global learning to CBA’s mission

Bartosek’s work aligns closely with the College of Business Administration’s priorities: preparing students for a global, interconnected workforce; developing confidence and professional readiness; and nurturing whole-student growth.

“Here at CBA, we can create space that allows students to thrive in a global society,” she said. “Study abroad can do that.”

As she continues leading programs and mentoring new faculty leaders, Bartosek exemplifies the college’s commitment to hands-on, human-centered education—education that meets students where they are and guides them toward who they can become.