Tom and I had a great time at WBUR’s studio in Boston yesterday doing NPR’s fastest-growing talk show, “On Point”
with Tom Ashbrook. It was live and is presented by more than 150 NPR affiliates across the country! You can listen to the recorded show here .
It was a great experience all around–the producers were so excited about our story and really made us feel welcome, and the host couldn’t have been more charming. The callers were beyond civil (perhaps the harsh critics were screened out!) and in fact, many just wanted to call and share their own story of students gone global. We just sat back and let ourselves be validated. 
Nothing like others’ success stories to reinforce the notion that going abroad is an incredibly beneficial learning experience!
I received many, many personal emails–some during the show!–including many from students who are very interested in going abroad but whose parents are worried about sending them. For many, the money is the perceived obstacle. Once we point out that it costs A LOT to raise a sixteen-year-old here in the US and that many families can actually SAVE THOUSANDS of dollars while their kid is having the most important year of their lives abroad, parents start coming around. Most parents who claim they don’t have enough money to send their student abroad make far more than we do (we’ve been firmly planted in the mid-five figures for several years) and have fewer kids–it’s more about priorities than cash. In addition, it’s important to note that many students in the book who share their stories about their exchange or college study abroad came from low-income families and received scholarships that funded their experiences.
When it comes to going abroad, the biggest obstacle is not lack of money–it’s lack of information and imagination. Learn the facts, imagine the possibilities, and then get out there and play!
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