Since graduating from UW-Platteville in 2017, Caitlyn Chiaverotti, interim education abroad specialist, has worked as an assistant within the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Never having been abroad herself until she was a student at UW-Platteville, she said she feels most accomplished now when she is helping other students fulfill their study abroad dream. Though the priorities of her position in the Education Abroad program have shifted since the beginning of the pandemic, Chiaverotti is working to ensure the program can continue stronger than ever afterwards.
You graduated from UW-Platteville with double majors in international studies and Spanish. As a student, what drew you to these fields of study?
I started out my college career with a major in engineering. However, I quickly discovered that though I enjoyed math, I did not want to do engineering for my career. I was undecided for over a year, and during that time I took a lot of general requirement courses and found that I greatly enjoyed the social sciences more than I ever thought. I have also always loved travel and learning about other cultures. My older brother, who also attended UW-Platteville, actually suggested international studies as a major to me and when I looked at it further I realized it was a perfect fit.
As for Spanish, I had always planned on a having a Spanish minor as I had taken four years of it in high school. What, or should I say who, changed that for me was Profe Chris Schulenburg. My first class with Profe was definitely a challenge, as most of his classes are, but I loved how energetic he was and how invested he was in his students. Because I didn't want to stop taking his classes, I decided to change my minor to a major. By the end of my college career, I had taken six or seven of his courses. He is the professor who enabled me to grow my critical thinking skills, learn how to view everything from a different perspective, and to have a high fluency in Spanish, which I still use today.
I was also drawn to these majors because I felt that they allowed me a great deal of flexibility in my future career path. I knew I wanted to help people while having an international component as well as learn a second language. Through completing my degree, I was able to grow and do just that.
As a staff member, how have you used the skills you acquired studying international studies and Spanish?
I think the greatest skills I acquired from my studies are critical thinking and being able to view things from a perspective other than my own. In any position, critical thinking is important. Issues or student concerns pop up all the time in student service roles, and you have to be able to come up with the best solutions. Critical thinking allows you to look at the problem from multiple angles and find the answer that is best for the students and other parties. Being able to view things from other perspectives has allowed me to really put myself in students' and colleagues' shoes. This allows me to have empathy and understand what people are going through so I can know how to best serve them. Though those skills aren't necessarily what I planned to get out of my studies, they are the most versatile and valuable to me.
Before you joined the UW-Platteville Education Abroad program, you spent some time in both the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Are there any experiences you’d like to share from your time there? Likewise, how did your time in these departments affect your career outlook?
After I graduated, I worked in Madison doing marketing for about a year. I found that I was not feeling fulfilled in my work there, as I was not helping people in a way I would hope to. A position opened up in the Multicultural Office and I felt a pull to come back to UW-Platteville, which has been a second home to me. During my time in OMSA, I worked with some amazing coworkers and students that assisted me in growing into the young professional I am today. OMSA and everyone in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion were so welcoming and supportive. My time there opened my mind and changed how I looked at the world. Working in the International Programs Office, which is part of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, still allows me to collaborate with OMSA and the rest of the division, which is so enjoyable. The division is like a family and I – probably a little biased – think it's the best division to work in. Starting in OMSA and the division gave me so many great opportunities, including traveling to New York to attend the Latinx Leads Conference with students, assisting in planning the Midwest Culturally Inclusive Conference with Campus Climate, and the opportunity to work in Education Abroad in my current role. Without these experiences and opportunities, I would not be where I am in my career, doing something I enjoy.
How have you seen the Education Abroad program shift its focus during the pandemic? As an Education Abroad Specialist for the university, what challenges have you faced in the past year?
After dealing with the initial problem of bringing students home safely and navigating all of those related issues, we have had to shift our focus to planning for the future with students not going abroad currently. With our office having a few new employees right around when the pandemic hit, we have been reviewing processes, materials and programs, deciding how to improve them to best serve our students once it is again safe to study abroad. As many others on campus have also done, we have faced many challenges over the last year. The initial challenge of bringing students home safely and all of the red tape that was to follow was probably the most stressful one for me. I had been in this position for only a couple months and I had to adapt and rise to the challenge presented. Another challenge of education abroad during this time is that because we are always planning ahead for the next terms abroad, we still had to work with students who were planning to study abroad if it were to be allowed. The uncertainty of when study abroad will be allowed is still something we are dealing with and we have to advise students as if they are going, while still making sure they have a backup plan if programming is cancelled for their safety. It is definitely a difficult time to work in study abroad, but all the work we have been doing during this time will be worth it once students can travel again safely.
In your profession, you advise students on going abroad; what experiences have you had abroad (whether as a student or otherwise) and what kind of impact did they have on you?
Before college, I had never left the country. I had always dreamed of studying abroad, but wasn't sure if I'd actually have the guts to do it. As it turned out, studying abroad was a requirement of the International Studies degree. My mom was a bit unsure of allowing me to go abroad on my own, so she suggested I reach out to my cousin, whose husband is from El Salvador, and see if I could accompany them the next time they went to visit family. They were super excited that I wanted to go with them, and I was able to travel to El Salvador for two weeks. I fell in love with the country, the people and the food. It only confirmed more that my desire to study abroad was the right choice. When it was time to start applying for a study abroad program, I had to do my research on which country to choose. I knew that I wanted to study in a Spanish-speaking country to improve my Spanish fluency, and I also knew that I wanted to go somewhere not a lot of students typically go. This meant South America. I eventually landed on studying abroad for a semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina, through one of UW-Platteville's affiliate partners, CCIS. I left in March and returned in June of 2016. This was the most transformational experience of my life so far. I learned to use public transportation (which was necessary in a city of over 14 million people), to speak like a porteña (citizen of Buenos Airies), to travel alone, and to adapt to any situation. While studying subjects like women studies of Latin America and U.S.-Latin American relations, I also was able to travel outside of the city. The two major trips I took were to Iguazu Falls and to Patagonia. Iguazu Falls are like Niagra Falls, but even bigger. The falls border Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. I went with a friend and it was such a breathtaking site. My second trip, to Patagonia, was my favorite, but also my most challenging. I went with three others and we went to Calafate and El Chaltén. We hiked all over in El Chaltén, including to Mount Fitz Roy. The scenery there was like nothing I have ever seen before and indescribably beautiful. After hiking in El Chaltén (and twisting my ankle) we trekked on the Perito Moreno glacier where we had drinks with glacier ice in them. I had thought El Chaltén was beautiful, but it had nothing on the sites of the glacier. After all of the amazing things we did, we were ready to return home. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, which happens when traveling. Our flight got delayed. Then delayed again. Then we were put on a bus, driven five hours across the country to another airport, where our flight was canceled again. So a trip that was to be five days, ended up being nine days. During studying abroad, many things were thrown my way, but this allowed me to learn to be adaptable. It also gave me a great deal of confidence in myself. I left Argentina with new knowledge, confidence, great friends and unforgettable memories.