Studying abroad is an opportunity of a lifetime for many students while they are in college. For Sam Cushman, a senior mass communications and political science major and international studies minor from Springdale, Ark., studying abroad was not an opportunity that he had for just one semester, but for three. Last Spring, Cushman spent his semester studying at Salzburg College in Austria. His time spent in Austria was supposed to be his last semester of college, but as he explored the options for graduate programs, Cushman found an opportunity to not only explore another foreign place, but to also further his education for an extra year. Currently, Cushman is spending his fall and spring semesters as an exchange student at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan.
Cushman first became interested in studying abroad when his sister spent a semester in Salzburg while he was a sophomore in high school. His family was able to visit her over spring break and he was captivated by Salzburg’s beauty, deciding he needed to go back some day. While preparing to leave for Salzburg, Cushman spent his summer researching graduate school programs and became interested in the international relations field. He went back to Ouachita’s study abroad website and looked into the possibility of going to Asia, which is where the majority of his research and study would have to be focused. Cushman explored the idea of going to Japan, but he understood this would come with challenges as he had plans to graduate and would be in need of financial aid.
After meeting with Dr. Jeff Root, Dean of Humanities, and Ian Cosh, Vice President for Community and International Engagement, they decided that Cushman could postpone graduation a year in order to spend the extra year at school in Japan. It was while Cushman was in Salzburg that he received word that he had been awarded a full scholarship to attend the program in Japan. Now that everything was in place, he was ready to spend his senior year abroad with an open mind.
“One of the things that the Grant Center tells us about studying abroad is to go in with low expectations,” Cushman said. “I came to these countries with an open mind and open heart and I’ve never been disappointed.”
Cushman describes his day-to-day schedule as being similar to what students experience at Ouachita. He has a regular class schedule and gets to live in a dorm and eat in a cafeteria. Salzburg, he says, was a different experience because he lived with a host family and would ride a bus into town to attend class.
“In Fukuoka, I spend weekdays studying,” Cushman said. “I taught myself how to read and write Japanese this summer. They have three separate writing systems and I learned two of them. After class, studying and homework, I’ll usually spend time with my friends here at the I-house (international house).”
Being involved in the international house Cushman has found a community that allows him to connect with international students from countries all over the world, ranging from France to Denmark, and Iceland to Vietnam.
“I feel like the people I’ve been able to grow close to here in Japan I’ve known for all my life,” Cushman said. “The I-house is an amazing place. In Japanese the word for love is ‘Ai’ which is pronounced like ‘I’, so we affectionately call the I-house the ‘Love House’.”
Outside of the classroom and off the campus, Cushman has had a plethora of opportunities to be exposed to culture, history and traditional celebrations. While in Salzburg and now in Japan, he has been able to experience life that varies much differently than growing up in the southern United States.
“In Salzburg, I would spend a lot of time hiking and walking, but I also signed up for a medieval sword fighting class near the castle,” Cushman said. “I’m a huge nerd and it was a lot of fun if not a little scary. The instructor, Ingulf, would often be my sparring partner and he actually uses a live steel blade at practice.
“In Japan I’ve spent most of my time getting to know other Japanese people. Last weekend my friend Jens from Denmark and my friend Fabio from Italy and I stayed at the home of a Japanese student. His family was amazing and so kind. Japanese hospitality will give southerners a run for our money,” Cushman said.
When asked about how he has grown personally since he began his educational career abroad, Cushman says that it is something he is still discovering and that his mind is constantly going back to the idea of identity and questioning how these experiences are shaping his life.
“I’ve changed and grown so much in the past year,” Cushman said. “I’m doing things now that I’d never thought I’d do. I’m more social, extroverted and outgoing.”
Even though he had truly enjoyed his time overseas, Cushman admits that he does miss being in America and being around his family and friends.
“There are times when I long for home and my friends back in America,” Cushman said. “There is so much I’m experiencing and I want to share it with the people I love. This is especially true for my amazing Eta brothers. I miss those guys so much and I want them to know how much I have grown.”
After studying in two countries, learning a different language, visiting new towns, and trying new things, Cushman encourages students who are studying abroad to take ahold of the opportunity while they can and be prepared to take part in a life-changing experience.
“You’ll hear that studying abroad opens your eyes like nothing before,” Cushman said. “This is true but I struggle to describe how. It’s like a leap of faith almost, intimidating at first, but with amazing rewards. Going abroad puts you in a place to really challenge yourself if you take the initiative to do so and you will grow because of it.
“After living abroad, I now consider myself a global citizen,” Cushman added. “The world is my home, not just America, and I can go anywhere.”
by Sydney Bratton
