More Than a Tourist: A Student's Journey Through Learning Abroad
- Madison Jennings
- Oct 10, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
From Alabama to Lisbon, she took every step with confidence. Catherine Guilsher is a senior at Auburn University. When she decided to go on the GO Lisbon program, she decided to do it with flare! Catherine stood out positively throughout classes and excursions bringing passion and reflection into every moment.
Although the entirety of the trip was filled with moments of community and buzzing energy, the most impactful moment of the trip for Catherine was the final dinner. She enjoyed all of the closing remarks and even shared a final speech about her wonderful time abroad. Her speech was so special, not because of what she shared, but because of the encouragemnet and kind words that she recieved afterwards. This moment provided insight on how deep their community had gotten in just a short amount of time.
As Catherine explored the culture, she was sponge. She soaked up all of the learning opportunities and cultural significance that the trip had to offer. Her favorite activity in Lisbon had to be surfing. This activity is full of excitement, however it is also something that the Portuguese cultural holds dear as half of the country's border is coastline.
"One of the beauties of LeadAbroad is that you learn just as much outside of the classroom as you do within. I think every student would agree that we all learned a lot about ourselves," Catherine stated on her time in Lisbon.
Catherine's biggest realization was that her place is not limited to just one city or one country, her place can be the whole world if she just takes the step to explore it. LeadAbroad encourages students to truly break free of their comfort zone and enjoy everything that a variety of cultures has to offer. These trips can provide a tremendous amount of growth and reflection.
The biggest way that she developed throughout the trip is the pursuit of her future career. She will know pursue a future career in something that allows for travel and exploration of new countries and cultures. Catherine was motivated to take full advantage of her GO Lisbon program because their was an end date. According to her, a month is the perfect time frame to accomplish everything she wanted to and still push her to make the most of everyday.
For anyone hesitant about taking the leap to go abroad, Catherine says that this program is the difference between giving up a few weeks of your time or regretting something for the rest of your life. Sounds like a small price to pay.
If you are ready to take the leap and find your next destination, join the Interest List to explore all of our fabulous programs!
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Language proficiency plays a crucial role in this journey, especially for students planning to study in English-speaking countries. Tools like an IELTS band calculator help students understand their current performance level and set realistic goals for improvement. By tracking progress accurately, learners can focus on specific areas such as speaking, writing, or listening.
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