After correctly identifying pictures of the world’s most famous study abroad sites, Kelly Szorady collected a sticker for her passport and jogged off to her next location.

Szorady, a senior translation major, was participating in the Office of Global Education’s The Amazing Study Abroad Race.

The race, a part of International Education Week, featured six different locations where students would have to complete various activities, like making candy sushi or trying to get directions from someone who doesn’t speak English.

“This (race) is to be a teaser to what students will come across abroad,” said Elizabeth Davis, an education abroad advisor.

International Education Week is a national campaign that encourages universities to educate students about study abroad opportunities, as well as celebrate students from foreign countries who study abroad in the United States.

The Amazing Study Abroad Race is one of 26 events that the OGE is putting on this week.

Davis said she feels the events are an important way to get students interested in international programs, which can have long-lasting positive effects.

“Students who go abroad find they have a lot more personal and self-growth and emotional maturity,” Davis said.

Finding a way to ask directions of Michael Bayer, a German international exchange student studying English and History, was one of the race’s challenges.  

“It’s kind of hard to just expect people to know what you’re saying,” Bayer said. “Especially with German because it’s so different.”

Bayer said he thinks that International Education Week is a good thing for students and is always happy to help out.

Szorady was also supposed to work the event, but at the last minute decided to participate instead. Having studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, she also sees the value in International Education Week.

“I believe it’s important because it shows students there is this whole other world around them, and it helps people understand the world is so much bigger than we this it is,” she said.

Contact Hannah Armenta at [email protected].