Blazing a New Trail

For some people, the path to higher education—and to study abroad—is not always a straight line. But education abroad is not an unattainable goal for those who set their sights on living and learning in another country. International Educator spoke to six students about their nontraditional paths to education abroad. Some went abroad as community college students, less than 1 percent of whom participate in education abroad. Others began or resumed their education after a significant break to raise children or to work, or as student-parents who had to make the difficult decision to leave their young children for several months. Many are the first in their families to go to college or leave the country. 

A recurring theme among the students was that they consider study abroad more than just a fun opportunity to travel to another country. The experience was a transformative one that prompted career changes and inspired those around them. 

Malika K. McCoy, who spent the summer of 2019 in Scotland as a student at the Community College of Baltimore County, says the experience was about showing her family, especially her daughter, what is possible. 

“I want to have a great career, but it’s also about breaking barriers for my family, allowing them to see that you can get through obstacles, whether it’s poverty or dropping out of high school,” says McCoy, who has since transferred to the University of Baltimore. “You have those statistics that are weighing against you. You’re less likely to go to