Education Abroad program has impactful, successful year

 

MURRAY, Ky. — Continuing its impactful mission of offering life-defining educational opportunities for students throughout the world, Murray State University’s Education Abroad program has experienced a successful year that includes 260 participating students from the fall 2025 semester through the upcoming summer 2026. This is an increase of 9.7% from the same period in fall 2024 through summer 2025. 

Undergraduate students ranging from freshmen to seniors have participated, as well as graduate students, and 34 students studied abroad for a full semester or more. Each of the University’s academic colleges has been represented by students who have participated. Further, 20 faculty members have taught abroad this academic year as well.

By studying abroad, students can earn academic credit, learn more about the world, gain valuable problem-solving skills, meet new people and boost their resume. Program lengths vary by location, field of study and type of program.

“Education abroad is where classrooms and textbooks meet the real world,” Murray State Director of Education Abroad Steven Guns said. “There is nothing quite like navigating the subway system or winding side streets of a new city to prove you’re ready to handle just about anything. It is amazing to see first-hand the personal confidence and grit that students develop while studying abroad. We had a fantastic year of education abroad and faculty-led programming at Murray State, and are excited for our 2026-27 lineup.”

The top destination for students has been the United Kingdom, as well as Ireland, Peru, Italy, Belize and the Czech Republic.

Silas Jackson, a recent graduate and finance major from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, as well as a spring 2026 Outstanding Senior recipient, reflected on his education abroad experiences. 

“I’m really grateful for the role education abroad has played in my experience at Murray State, where I studied abroad three times,” Jackson said. “I had the opportunity to travel to Ireland this past spring break on an agriculture program. It was an incredible experience. Highlights include experiencing St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland and seeing its impact on tourism. Also, visiting Pearse Lyons Distiller, where I learned about its ties to Kentucky and global agriculture. I spent a semester abroad in Regensburg, Germany in 2023 and traveled to Turkey in 2025. Both experiences led to close friendships with people in the program and students at the universities we visited. Even now, I’ve been able to reconnect with students from Germany who are studying at Murray State as exchange students, which has been an awesome way to keep those international connections going. Overall, studying abroad pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me become more confident in navigating new environments. I’m really looking forward to continuing to travel internationally.”

Jasmine Hornbuckle, a psychology major from Murray, Kentucky, studied abroad this past semester on the Kentucky Institute for International Studies Spain Spring Semester program in Alicante, Spain.

“It has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Hornbuckle said. “I have learned so much about the world from the perspective of different cultures, and even made friends across the globe in my travels. Apart from being immersed in the Spanish language and culture, I have found a home away from home here in this city. I am so grateful to have taken the chance and gone on this adventure; it has been nothing short of unforgettable!” 

“Education abroad is the best any university has to offer as far as experiential learning goes,” said Dr. Marcie Hinton, associate professor of Journalism and Mass Communications, who will teach in England and Iceland during the next academic year. “Murray State University is lucky to have the staff and partnerships to offer stellar programming across the globe. Nothing creates a community of learning like professors and students from across the curriculum studying together in a foreign land.”

Interested Murray State faculty members can contact Steven Guns at sguns@murraystate.edu to learn more about teach-abroad opportunities. 

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged for interested students, who can contact the Education Abroad office at 270-809-2277 or msu.studyabroad@murraystate.edu.

Learn more at murraystate.edu/educationabroad.