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U-M Student Peer Advisors

Peer advisors are U-M students who have studied or worked abroad and have extensive overseas travel experience. The Peer Advisors are trained to help you learn about the education abroad opportunities and help you decide which option will be best for you. They are available to assist only students, faculty, staff and alumni affiliated with the University of Michigan.

Our peer advisors are located within the U-M International Center, and are available through email, by appointment, or by advising hours throughout the academic year. The Education Abroad Office has walk-in advising Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm, however we recommend setting up an appointment by email if you'd like to speak with a specific peer advisor.

Winter 2013 Education Abroad Peer Advisors

Alison McDonald is a senior majoring in Spanish and International Studies, with a focus on International Security & Norms. She spent the previous summer studying Spanish culture, history, and literature at the Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain through the University of Michigan’s Center for Global and Intercultural Studies (CGIS). During her time studying abroad she also did some independent traveling. She has traveled to England, France and Italy, as well as exploring many cities throughout Spain.

Craig Laurie is a graduate student in the School of Social Work where he is studying Community Organization as a Community Based Initiatives Scholar. While an undergrad, he spent a semester studying the history, culture, and politics of Central and Eastern Europe at Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Most recently he spent 30 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Gagauzia, the semi-autonomous region of the Republic of Moldova. While there, he provided technical assistance and training in organizational development, strategic planning, and project design and management to small initiative groups in the region and to other PCVs. Over the years, he has studied Russian, Romanian, French, and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian. He is a firm believer in community-driven approaches to development, research, and mental health.  

Maura Niemisto is a Senior in Program in the Environment with a concentration on Environmental Justice Issues and a minor in International Studies. She spent Fall of 2011 studying abroad in Costa Rica and Nicaragua learning about social justice, sustainable community development and Latin American culture. She also organized and carried out her own research project on vertebrate pests in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. She has also traveled and explored Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Canada. She speaks Spanish and basic Portuguese. Most recently she completed an internship at Wolf Haven International in the Spring of 2012, where she participated in non-profit and conservation work, as well as became familiar with international and domestic wildlife management initiatives.

Celine Smith is currently a Senior majoring in International Studies and Anthropology with a minor in the Program in the Environment. Never having traveled before college, Celine knew she wanted to begin her international experiences right away. Summer following freshman year she went with the University of Michigan's GIEU program to Zambia for a month to do research and help with workshops on HIV/AIDS in the religious community. After this experience she decided the next step would be to study abroad for a semester, so she chose Buenos Aires, Argentina for Winter semester of her sophomore year. Here she worked on her Spanish while taking classes with other American students and locals. During this time she also traveled independently throughout the country. More recently, she spent the summer of 2012 as a Student Fellow for the GIEU program in Kumase, Ghana, where she co-lead a group of UofM students with a university professor in their project of digitizing VHS tapes in the Palace. Now she is looking forward to the opportunity of helping to guide others to great international experiences!

In addition to these advisors, the Education Abroad office has an extensive listing of volunteer peer advisors who have had a variety of study and work abroad experiences. For more information send an email to ic-abroad@umich.edu or call 734.647.2299.

 

Become a Peer Advisor

If you've had an international experience and would like to share your expertise and familiarity with studying, working, or travelling abroad, we need you! Our peer advisors not only advise students, but also design and present workshops and seminars on education abroad.

For more information about peer advisors, contact ic-abroad@umich.edu or call 734.647.2299.

 

Last reviewed: 02/13