What Happens to Study Abroad Students?

Basketball player Steve Nash was one. So was human rights icon Achbishop Desmond Tutu. And actor Bradley Cooper. And author Harper Lee. Other than being famous, they all studied abroad during their college years, and some of them have said they owe their success to that experience.

Whether they were international students who studied in the United States then returned to their homelands, or U.S. students who studied abroad, many such students went on to become celebrity authors, actors, musicians, and even presidents.

“Through the years, I have been able to witness the power of study abroad and how it can transform lives,” said Sandy Soohoo-Refaei, director of study abroad for Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego, California. “These particular people found a way to adjust, adapt, and flourish. They became stronger during this process and learned new, transferable life skills. They also recognized, perhaps for the first time, their potential for leadership and success. This realization would then propel them to try more new things and seek other opportunities, leading them on career paths that brought them to where they are today.” Sarah McNitt, global engagement technical coordinator at the University of Michigan, compiles a long list of famous people who’ve studied abroad. “My goal was to inspire young people to consider an international experience by showcasing successful people who had once been young travelers themselves,” McNitt says.

For example, the list includes Boutros Boutros-Ghali, an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth secretary-general of the United Nations