By Tatiana Marie Muniz

Growing up, Nina Cornelius says her family wasn’t the kind that took vacations to Disneyland or Hawaii.

“Coming from a low-income family, my dreams of becoming a first-generation college student were barely realized, so studying abroad, a passion of mine, did not seem realistic or possible.”

With the help of Education Abroad at CSUMB and TRiO — a federally-funded program that supports the success of first generation, low-income students and individuals with disabilities — Cornelius realized anything was possible. A business major minoring in Spanish, she applied to study abroad in Costa Rica. She cried with joy when her application was accepted. Her dream had come true.

The Education Abroad program offers all students the opportunity to study in a different country, providing unique skills such as learning or improving a new language, networking globally, and gaining fresh and open perspectives. Education Abroad offers over 100 programs in more than 30 countries worldwide, so students have a wide selection to choose from.