From Student to Mentor: Sabo Helps Students Discover Study Abroad Success

Cassandra Thomas

Katie Sabo

Graduate and international education is all about discoveries — the discovery of knowledge, the discovery of research and creative scholarship that improves lives and the discovery of new countries, cultures and people. The Graduate School and International Education is celebrating our students, faculty and staff that make discoveries happen at the U of A.

Katie Sabo's journey to working in the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange began with her own study abroad excursion to France when she was an undergraduate student here at the University of Arkansas.

Sabo traveled to Besançon, France, on a faculty-led French language immersion program, an experience that not only deepened her understanding of the French language but also offered numerous opportunities for personal growth.

"The program contributed well to my academic interests and goals, but that was also my first time out of the country," she said. "I learned how to navigate the metro in Paris, and I'd never previously been on a subway. I was proud of myself; that was a cool thing. I got lost while I was walking around the city exploring on my own, and I felt confident enough to approach a shop owner and ask for directions and was able to navigate that on my own. Those kind of soft skills that produced more confidence and independence."

After earning her bachelor's and master's degrees, Sabo explored different career opportunities before learning of a job opening in the Study Abroad Office on campus.

"I remembered how impactful my own study abroad experience was as an undergraduate, so I was excited to learn more about education abroad from the administrative side," she said. "From there, the writing was on the wall. I learned that this was a career for me."

Sabo, now the senior study abroad coordinator in the office, helps students realize their study abroad dreams by guiding them through the entire process, including choosing a program, completing application paperwork and preparing to go abroad. She also manages several faculty-led programs.

In addition, she supports students through scholarship advising, most notably the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which provides financial support for American students with limited financial means who wish to study abroad.

This fall, Sabo was named a Gilman Adviser Ambassador for the 2023-24 school year, where she trains advisers and raises awareness of the scholarship on campus and beyond. Her appointment builds on the university's strong partnership with the Gilman Scholarship — 40% of Arkansas students who applied for the scholarship last year received it, compared to a 25% average nationally.

"The Gilman Scholarship is definitely something the entire office has supported historically — all of our advisers are trained," Sabo said. "When I first started advising, I learned about the scholarship and its goals in supporting students with high financial need who are otherwise historically and currently underserved student populations in study abroad. I found supporting those students as one of the most important parts of my job."

After experiencing first-hand the transformational power of studying abroad, Sabo finds it rewarding to help others pursue those same experiences.

"What I love the most is supporting students," she said. "I love helping students realize this is something they can do and then seeing the results of that work and to see them get themselves there."

"It's notable that a lot of education abroad professionals work in the field because we ourselves had a study abroad experience," she continued. "It's the 'why' that brings us to this work and keeps us in this work."