Study abroad advisor satisfies curiosity in global travel

Shannon Fitzgerald was bitten by the travel bug at an early age. She grew up in Mount Pleasant, curious about the broader world. When she started studying at Central Michigan University, she’d already traveled to Europe twice.

Now she works in Study Abroad, helping students follow in her footsteps.

“Travel has had such a profound impact on my life, and it’s exactly what shapes how I approach my role as a study abroad adviser at CMU,” she said.

While a CMU student studying French and cultural and global studies, Fitzgerald took a Study Abroad trip to Pau. It gave her an opportunity to put her French language skills to use somewhere other than the classroom.

Travel isn’t just about seeing the sights for Fitzgerald. It’s having experiences that spur personal growth.

“The things I’ve experienced and the places I’ve seen have given me a perspective that goes beyond a classroom,” she said. “I’ve lived with host families, taught children in rural communities, built friendships with people from countries all over the world and fully immersed myself in cultures very different from my own.

“These experiences taught me how to observe, listen and learn from others. They’ve made me more open-minded, more adaptable and more aware of the world around me.”

She highlights the value of the experience itself in talking to students about studying in other countries.

“I want them to understand that studying abroad isn’t just about travel,” she said. “It’s about growth, perspective and discovering who you are outside of everything familiar. I am passionate about encouraging students to take that step, especially those who may feel unsure or think it’s out of reach.”

When she was 18, Fitzgerald took her first solo trip to France. She landed in London and caught a train to Paris, a city she’d dreamed of visiting growing up. Then she made her way to Montpellier, near the Mediterranean Sea, where she stayed with a host family for three months.

The experience taught her the value of thinking on your feet in unfamiliar circumstances.

“You figure it out,” she said. “You always figure it out.”

A trip while she was still a student, but not through CMU, provided her with challenges and growth.

Fitzgerald taught English to children in rural Thailand. The language, food and culture were all new. It was a bit overwhelming, she said. The challenges also taught her valuable things about herself that she applied when working for a Mount Pleasant afterschool program.

She joined the Study Abroad staff last year and helps students identify and prepare for their own journeys overseas. She’s also enrolled in graduate school, pursuing a Master’s in Higher Education and Social Justice.

That created a nifty perk. Her program has a Study Abroad program that will take Fitzgerald to South Africa this summer to study education systems in post-apartheid South Africa. She expects to come back even better equipped to help students connect with the world.

“I can confidently tell students that stepping outside of their comfort zone is worth it,” she said. “Not just because I’ve done it before, but because I’m choosing to do it again. “It shows that growth doesn’t stop after one experience, and that there is always more to learn from the world.”