Meet our Education Abroad Ambassadors!

Time flies when you're having fun. Or if you're running from class to class trying to keep up with this semester! But, if you are considering studying abroad at some point in the near future, take a moment to slow down and begin learning about the different programs available to you. In her post "25 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently When I Studied Abroad", post author Rachael Taft says that she wishes she would have researched programs more extensively before choosing. While we at the Education Abroad office want you to research programs extensively, we also encourage you to use the people resources available to you! UW-P program alumni can provide invaluable information on culture, costs, classes, what to seek out, what to avoid, what to expect and much more. This semester we have several fabulous student interns and ambassadors who are specifically interested in sharing their experiences and happy to answer questions about what it is like to study abroad!

Derek Harmann is studying software engineering and spent a semester at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji on the UW-Platteville Education Abroad program. Derek plans to keep traveling in the future with plans to go to Asia, Europe, and South America once he has the money to sustain himself. He loves Chinese food and dancing till he hits the ground, and  his favorite travel experience was learning to scuba dive in the beautiful coral reefs of Fiji.

Holly Sutcliffe was one of our excellent student interns last fall. She is an animal science major with minors in international studies and German who studied abroad twice.  Her first experience was on the UW-Platteville Renewable Energy Best Practices short-term faculty-led program to Germany and was followed by a semester at the Dronten University of Applied Sciences in Dronten, Netherlands on the UW-Platteville Exchange program.  Her favorite travel experiences to date were in Germany, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, France, and the US, and in addition to returning to Europe, her travel goals include experiencing Asia.

 Kayann Johansson is studying business administration major with emphases in marketing and international business, previously interned in the Education Abroad office, and is currently a tour guide on campus.  Kayann has studied abroad three times:  on the UW-Platteville Chinese Business Practices and Culture short-term faculty-led program, on the UW-Platteville History of Science and Technology in Europe short-term faculty-led program, and for a semester at Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany through UW-Platteville’s affiliate CCIS. She loved getting to explore the Heidelberg Castle where she lived in Germany and thought it was really cool to learn about the history and how a family feud had part of the castle being blown up by a hundred pounds of gun powder.



Kayla Steffel grew up just north of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin on a small dairy farm, where she also owns a small herd of Brown Swiss dairy cows, which inspired her animal science major with a dairy science emphasis.  Kayla participated on the UW-Platteville Agriculture and Cultural Exchange short-term faculty-led program to the Netherlands where she was able to tour multiple farms, gain a new perspective on agriculture and experience a new culture.

Nate Frentzel is a senior studying Business Administration with an emphasis on International Business and a minor in International Studies. Nate spent a semester at the Mahidol Univeristy International College just outside of Bangkok, Thailand through UW-Platteville’s affiliate GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. He is currently studying Chinese, Thai and Khmer (Cambodian).







Katy Lang is senior history major and political science minor.  Katy studied abroad twice: on the UW-Platteville Chinese Business Practices and Culture short-term faculty-led program and for a semester on the UW-Platteville Exchange program at the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, Netherlands.


There are many on campus organizations and events that also allow you to meet study abroad alumni, as well as international students. Check out International Cafe on Monday nights at 6 p.m. in the Oasis in Brigham Hall, International Students Club on Thursdays at 5 p.m. (next meeting on the 17th!) in Doudna 143, or Global Lunch Hour at 11:30 a.m. every Friday in the Pioneer Room of the PSC.

Interns AJ, Hannah and Nichole are also here to help answer questions and share experiences from a student's perspective. Stop in at Royce, or check out our website for more information!