2008 Woodie Awards
World traveller advises study abroad students
Dan Martin
Issue date: 2/1/05 Section: Features
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It would be hard to find someone more qualified for the position of adviser to students studying in foreign countries than Carol Fairweather.
The Dundee, Scotland native has lived in South Africa, Australia, Spain and Toronto for varying periods of time in her life.
"I've never forgotten my major culture shock," said Fairweather. "I know what it's like for people not much younger than I was to go abroad and be in a different culture- I know how scary it can be."
Her expertise in the field stems directly from personal experience. Stepping off the plane from Scotland in 1966 with her husband, she had her first piece of pizza the second night in the states. She was 22.
"I can still smell it, all these years later," she said. "They asked us how many pieces we wanted. Well, I don't know, one or two pieces? We couldn't get through the first one because we'd never eaten things like that before."
Students planning to study abroad can benefit from advice from a fellow world traveler. She tells students that returning to one's own country, just as she did in 1967, is often harder than adapting to a new culture.
"For some people, coming home is a lot harder. Home has changed. Your friends have changed, and you have changed," said Fairweather in her subtle Scottish accent. "I came back after my first year in Houston and I couldn't wait to get home. It was tough though, because I really didn't fit anywhere. For a while you're caught where you don't belong in either place."
Fairweather, in her eighth year with the university's Study Abroad office, is no stranger to foreign study in colleges either. With 40 years of study abroad involvement under her belt, she believes she has truly found her calling in helping students study out of the country.
"I wake up in the morning and look forward to coming here," she said. "All the lives that are touched and changed. It's the most incredible job in the world. When you enjoy a job this much it isn't a job anymore."
The Dundee, Scotland native has lived in South Africa, Australia, Spain and Toronto for varying periods of time in her life.
"I've never forgotten my major culture shock," said Fairweather. "I know what it's like for people not much younger than I was to go abroad and be in a different culture- I know how scary it can be."
Her expertise in the field stems directly from personal experience. Stepping off the plane from Scotland in 1966 with her husband, she had her first piece of pizza the second night in the states. She was 22.
"I can still smell it, all these years later," she said. "They asked us how many pieces we wanted. Well, I don't know, one or two pieces? We couldn't get through the first one because we'd never eaten things like that before."
Students planning to study abroad can benefit from advice from a fellow world traveler. She tells students that returning to one's own country, just as she did in 1967, is often harder than adapting to a new culture.
"For some people, coming home is a lot harder. Home has changed. Your friends have changed, and you have changed," said Fairweather in her subtle Scottish accent. "I came back after my first year in Houston and I couldn't wait to get home. It was tough though, because I really didn't fit anywhere. For a while you're caught where you don't belong in either place."
Fairweather, in her eighth year with the university's Study Abroad office, is no stranger to foreign study in colleges either. With 40 years of study abroad involvement under her belt, she believes she has truly found her calling in helping students study out of the country.
"I wake up in the morning and look forward to coming here," she said. "All the lives that are touched and changed. It's the most incredible job in the world. When you enjoy a job this much it isn't a job anymore."