Sydney Schwaller is currently pursuing a Master's of Education (Ed.M.) degree in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with a concentration in Global Studies in Education. Prior to starting her online graduate program in the fall of 2021, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwuakee in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in International Studies and a minor in Spanish.
"During my undergraduate program, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Sevilla, Spain, my junior year which prompted my passion for international higher education and the study abroad field. I was fortunate enough to intern my senior year with my study abroad company and my passion only grew as an intern at a global relocation company during the summer. The experiences solidified my desire to take my education to the next step in both higher education and global education through a master’s degree program. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign online master’s degree program seemed like the perfect fit for continuing my education. The first two semesters of my program have been filled with insightful classes led by instructors that I can truly lean on. Courses such as Globalization in Higher Education, Researching Global Education, Global Youth and Citizenship, and more have provided me with a greater understanding of my future career path decisions. I look forward to continuing my education the next few semesters.
"The opportunity to pursue my online master’s degree education has been a wonderful experience and something I am extremely grateful for. As I am not located in the Champaign-Urbana area, having the option to complete this degree online has been filled with plenty of opportunities. I had the pleasure to remotely intern this past semester for the Office of International Programs with directors Dr. Alison Witt and Dr. Wei Lui. I helped implement a Canvas course for Education students studying abroad in Panama and Italy this summer. I have always been interested in the student enrollment and pre-departure process of study abroad and this internship has given me confidence and leadership skills to successfully design a course for students. With that, I continued my internship as a remote teaching assistant for the two courses, helping our study abroad students with both their excitement and questions and concerns. The online internship has taught me many things about the process of enrollments and recruitment and I know this is where I want to go in my career path. I am grateful for my wonderful professors and program leaders for taking me under their wing and giving me creative liberties in the Canvas Course design process.
"This online degree program has helped me in so many different ways, including allowing me to explore diverse avenues in Education through my coursework and internship. With this online degree program, there have been tremendous opportunities to connect with my classmates in all parts of the world. Networking with both my professors and peers is one way I have been able to find like minded people and share our passion for education and fostering future global leaders with our students through our knowledge and guidance. I am excited to continue my education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and look forward to all the opportunities to come."
