Jacob Kinning left, Rachael Gardner and President Robbyn Wacker from St. Cloud State University, accept CISabroad’s Going Places Award Jessica Jones, VP of University Relations at CISabroad.
The award recognizes an institution that broadens academic perspectives, encourages student development and broadens global awareness through innovative work in education abroad. CISabroad – Center for International Studies is a partner organization that provides U.S. university students with education abroad opportunities that is focused on affordability, academic relevance, cultural immersion and support.
President Robbyn Wacker with CISabroad co-founder Jeff Palm at CISabroad’s reception at NAFSA.
President Robbyn Wacker along with Center for International Studies team members Shahzad Ahmad, Jacob Kinning and Rachael Gardener accepted the award for the university.
“We are honored to receive this award,” Kinning said. “This award is so meaningful because at the end of the day it’s about the students. CISabroad’s commitment to making education abroad accessible to everyone is what we are drawn to the most.
“The work they do is a reflection of what we do. We know if our students or faculty are with CIS abroad, they’ll be safe, they’ll learn, they’ll integrate with the local culture and they’ll be cared for as if they were on a St. Cloud State program.”
St. Cloud State students have traveled with CISabroad on study and internship programs in Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Hawaii, Italy, Spain and Thailand. St. Cloud State has also collaborated on multi-country, faculty-led programs for business and education. The education abroad team presented at the 2018 Region IV NAFSA Conference in Duluth alongside CISabroad on different program models and how developing first-year experience programs can be used as a strategic enrollment management technique in higher education.
St. Cloud State has been recognized in the past for its dedication to study abroad with the Heiskell Award for Best Practices in International Partnership and the Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Campus Internationalization.
I was part of the first study abroad Program in Frederica, Denmark , academic year 1973-74.
It was a fantastic experience, advanced my career, and fellow students are still some of my best friends. We still get together on a near annual basis in locations across the US!