By Gabby Christensen
Petersburg native Terri Seier was a small town girl with a big world dream—a yearning to travel abroad and see other cultures.
That very dream came true for the Nebraska Wesleyan University student, who recently embarked on a four-month-long study abroad trip to Taiwan.
Seier, the daughter of Paul and Shawn Seier of Petersburg, was a graduate of Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School in Elgin. She is now a junior this fall at NWU, currently majoring in English with a minor in Chinese.
A sophomore at the time, Seier initially decided to study abroad for a semester in Taiwan after she heard stories and saw photos from one of her teachers who was a Taiwan native.
“I just knew right then that I wanted to go to this place,” Seier said.
Seier utilized the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). As part of this program, Seier paid tuition, which includes room and board and a food plan, for a student from Taiwan to study in the U.S. In exchange, she was able to study abroad.
As an avid history and literature lover, Seier was always interested in learning new things. But it wasn’t until her freshman year of high school that she really became intrigued with learning other languages.
“I took a trip to D.C. for a pro-life march,” Seier said. “I met someone who couldn’t speak English and I felt so bad that I couldn’t communicate with them.”
This experience sparked Seier’s interest and she has set out to learn as much as she can about other cultures.
“Studying abroad is really the best of both worlds,” Seier said. “Not only are you learning, but you’re simultaneously experiencing this whole new world and seeing all new things.”
Read the complete story in the Sept. 5 Albion News & Petersburg Press, Print and E-Editions.
