There is no substitute for real-world experience, but learning doesn’t come from experience alone. Familiarity with the experiential learning cycle—intention, implementation, and reflection—sets students up for success.
“That cycle helps students embrace the learning process in ways that just going, showing up, and doing exactly what they’re told doesn’t,” says Danny Damron, assistant dean of experiential learning and professional development.
As the students repeat the cycle, reflection helps them learn to ask better questions, use their skills in new ways, and get outside of their comfort zone.
“It requires students to ask, in the moment, certain questions about how they are doing,” says Damron. “If something needs to change, students will recognize it only as they reflect.”
Read as students from across the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences reflect on experiences they had around the world.
Internships
Anna Young, Economics
Washington, DC
Washington Seminar, American Enterprise Institute
During my internship I worked hands on with data, doing trend analysis, coding results, creating graphics, and editing papers that used the data I helped to collect. My biggest takeaway was the importance of being intentional and getting involved.
Rebekah Kaylor, Social Work
Salt Lake City
Church Disability Services
I’ve always believed that when people understand their life framework and have access to needed resources, they can live happy and fulfilled lives. What a gift to find out that I can build a career advocating for and empowering disadvantaged individuals and families!Field School
Abigail McEuen, Political Science
Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo
Identity and Gender in Southeast Asia
This research experience not only helped me to learn more about the process of running an experiment, but it also helped me to learn R program coding, improved my writing abilities, and gave me greater cultural understanding and appreciation.
Camille Brown, Sociocultural Anthropology
Ecuador
Ecuador Kichwa-Waoroni Project
Two main lessons stand out from my trip abroad: First, I learned how challenging situations can lead us to develop deeper connections. Second, I developed a greater appreciation for diverse ways of seeing the world.
Olivia Osguthorpe, Sociology
Bolivia
Program Assessment and Evaluation Team (PEAT)
Pairing my ability for compassion in situations with marginalized and vulnerable populations with my spiritual ability to see things as they really are and as they really will be—that’s one of the special things that a BYU student can do in the world.Study Abroad
Hannah Johnston, Environmental Studies
Utah, England, Iceland, Norway
Expedition Planet Earth
On my study abroad we hiked six miles to watch a volcanic fissure erupt in real time. We trekked through a barren volcanic landscape, saw primary succession firsthand, and watched Earth’s youngest rocks form right in front of us.
Lauren Jacob, Social Science Teaching
United Kingdom
BYU London Centre
I love history and was excited to learn about it in the center of Western civilization. Studying in the UK made history come alive for me in ways it never had before, making it more memorable and impactful. I hope to implement things I learned in London in classes I teach in the future.
Makaylee Moore, Psychology
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Jordan, Turkey, India, Nepal, Japan
Around the World: Seeking the Sacred from Europe to Asia
Something that helped strengthen my testimony on this study abroad was the people I met at each of the sites and within each of the countries. If my testimony were a plant, they helped water it in ways that they probably didn’t even realize.
Elizabeth Bybee, Marriage and Family Therapy
Italy
Italy Immersion Program in Family Therapy and Italian Culture
I was inspired by the way family is such an integral part of Italian culture and society. Being immersed in the culture allowed me to see the things I’ve learned in the MFT graduate program from a different perspective and with new insight.
