Presenter: Lydia Haddad
Faculty Sponsor: Muzzo Uysal
School: UMass Amherst
Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, Auditorium, A75
ABSTRACT
Study abroad is more than an academic exercise; it is a transformative journey that reshapes identity and well-being. Students leave home motivated by career ambitions, cultural curiosity, and personal goals. What they gain often exceeds expectations. Emotional support, personal growth, and increased life satisfaction emerge as powerful outcomes, yet the pathways that lead to these benefits remain unclear. This study aims to illuminate those pathways by bridging the gap between motivation, experiences, and well-being outcomes. Through this lens, global engagement emerges not simply as education abroad but as a catalyst for resilience, belonging, and human flourishing. The findings will contribute to scholarly understanding while guiding educators and policymakers in designing programs that fully harness the impact of international experiences. To uncover these connections, the study employs a survey that blends structured Likert-scale questions with open-ended prompts, allowing students to articulate the motivations, benefits, and well-being shifts that shaped their journeys abroad.
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