Discovery Beyond the Familiar: Global Learning Transforms Perspectives
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet

NIU student Aline Niyogusenga during her study abroad in France (Photo: Aline Niyogusenga)


(L-R): Educational Psychology Professor Stephen Tonks and Educational Psychology Ph.D. students Josh Sidney, Chelsea Haley, and Faith Whitfield at Yamanashi Prefecture with Mount Fuji in the distance. (Photo: Stephen Tonks)


Exploring Ireland's Healthcare Services program, summer 2025 (Photo: Jeanette Rossetti)

Every evening in Aix-en-Provence, France, NIU student Aline Niyogusenga sat down with her host family and spoke a language she wasn’t fully confident in.

What began as a challenge became one of the most transformative experiences of her NIU education.

Niyogusenga, a psychology and philosophy double major expected to graduate in spring 2027, spent three weeks studying in France. Financial support, including the Joyce De Winter World Languages and Cultures Scholarship, made her experience possible.

“Studying abroad has changed me to become an adaptable individual,” Niyogusenga said. “It influenced my perspective on the world, and my expectations of France were debunked by my actual experience.”

Niyogusenga’s greatest insights came as much from everyday interactions as from academics. Studying in France exposed her to different customs, social norms and ways of thinking.

School of Nursing Interim Chair Jeanette Rossetti, Ed.D., M.S., RN, CNE, who has led NIU’s Exploring Ireland’s Healthcare Services program since 2012, has repeatedly witnessed similar discoveries among her students.

“Many feel uncertain about traveling internationally and navigating unfamiliar environments, but they return with a greater sense of independence and self-assurance,” Rossetti said. “They become more comfortable communicating with people from different backgrounds, adapting to unexpected situations and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth.”

Although classroom learning provides an essential foundation, the personal growth students experience while studying abroad is difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom setting. 

Rossetti has watched students in NIU’s Exploring Ireland’s Healthcare Services program return with a deeper appreciation for how culture shapes healthcare, patient experiences and public policy. As future healthcare professionals, they leave Ireland with a stronger understanding that delivering high-quality care requires recognizing and respecting the values, perspectives and lived experiences of the patients they serve.  

Educational Psychology Professor Stephen Tonks, Ph.D., leads study abroad programs in Japan and has co-directed educational experiences in Indonesia. He asked his Ph.D. students in educational psychology to describe the changes they observed in themselves.

“Empathy,” said Ph.D. student Joshua Sidney. “It is virtually impossible to spend time with people, eat their food, see their lives, participate in the day-to-day and not be changed. Studying abroad is as close as a student can get to walking in someone else's shoes, which is why it is so important.”

For Ph.D. student and middle school teacher Faith Whitfield, the most profound change was not simply learning about Japan but recognizing how her own students navigate their worlds.

“As a middle school teacher who studies newcomer experiences, I felt, if only for a moment, the disorientation of moving through spaces where language, expectations and norms were not my own,” she said. “That experience reshaped how I see my students’ courage and persistence. I returned home with a renewed commitment to building classrooms where belonging is not assumed but intentionally cultivated.”

Rossetti believes every student should have the opportunity to benefit from experiences like studying abroad.

“Study abroad experiences foster skills that employers increasingly value, including cultural competence, adaptability, communication and global awareness,” she said. “In healthcare, these competencies directly translate into better patient care.”

Whether navigating language in France, exploring healthcare systems in Ireland or building connections in Japan, NIU students return with more than memories. They return with new perspectives, greater confidence and a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it.

Through FORWARD: The Campaign for NIU, donors can help ensure more Huskies have access to experiences that broaden horizons, challenge assumptions, and prepare them to lead in making a difference in the world.