Parental Testimonials

Parents play a very important role in the study abroad process. Without parental support and encouragement, most students would never study abroad.

Having a son or daughter abroad can be difficult for a parent, however. We worry about our children's safety. We worry about how the experience will change them, whether they will be the same person when they return. Many parents discover that not only does the study abroad experience change their student in positive ways, but it also, quite unexpectedly, changes the parents as well.

The Programs Abroad Office has gathered testimonials from parents of students who have studied abroad through our office. Here are some samples:

• In the spring of 2004, the son of Knoxville News Sentinel columnist Sherri Gardner-Howell spent a semester studying abroad in the Netherlands on a University of Tennessee exchange program. In this series of columns, Gardner-Howell describes the difficulty of letting go, her anxieties when something went wrong, and her reunion with the young man who returned from abroad.
  • "Forget sweetness; parting is downright painful" January 24, 2004 (no longer available)
  • "Son's ER visit: old habit, new hemisphere" June 26, 2004 (no longer available)
  • "Study abroad can change perspectives for all sides" July 17, 2004
    You may need to register (free) to view the columns
    
• Sharon Rowlette's son Seth studied abroad in on the Semester in Wales program. In this testimonial, Ms. Rowlette talks about overcoming her worries about her son's safety, and how she made a close friend in Wales.

Share Your Story

If your son or daughter studied abroad and you have a story to tell, we would love to hear from you. Email us at studyabroad@utk.edu. Please let us know if we may use your story in our promotional materials.