Heading Abroad

From Community College to Lille, France, Transfer Student Te'ana Schmitt has made the most of Highlander Experience

By Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97

When Te’Ana Schmitt completed her associate degree in social science at Virginia Western Community College in the spring of 2021, she knew she needed to repeat her community college experience on the baccalaureate level.

The small class sizes had allowed her to bond with her professors and classmates while providing her with unique learning opportunities. She needed a small college feel with large university resources. Enter Radford University, where she transferred and began taking classes in fall 2021 as a communication major with a concentration in public relations.

“I attended a transfer student Quest session and was really impressed by what I learned,” Schmitt remembers. “Radford is a smaller university versus others in the area, and that appealed to me. Plus, it’s close to home, which was an important part of my decision.”

Schmitt was interested in staying close to home because her mother lives in Roanoke, Virginia, and she needed that family support as a first-generation college student. Community college had given her a taste of higher education, but the next step in her college experience would lead her into uncharted waters.

“It was very much a struggle being the first in my family to go to a university because I couldn’t rely on advice from family members like other students could,” Schmitt said. “My mother is my biggest motivator, and she encouraged me to go to college and work hard. That’s why I needed to go to school somewhere that was close to her.”

Schmitt also credits Radford University’s Harvey Center for Learning and Writing as a crucial part of her success. The center is a resource for students that offers free academic coaching, online resources and workshops to support the development of skills and confidence in navigating coursework. The services are led by fellow Radford University students, which can help build the same close bonds Schmitt had formed during her community college days.

“The Harvey Center has been my most valuable experience as a Radford student,” Schmitt said. “Working with other students has been an incredible experience, and those coworkers have become my closest friends.”

Schmitt said that the students and staff of the Harvey Center gave her the chance to open up about her struggles as a first-generation student, providing her with encouragement to continue working toward her goals.

“They were very understanding and sympathetic and told me to always come to them if I had any questions or concerns,” Schmitt recalled. “The center is an invaluable tool for the whole Radford community.”

Today, Schmitt is a senior who expects to graduate in spring 2023. However, her biggest adventure may have been last fall, when she was overseas for a study abroad semester in Lille, France, at the Institut des Stratégies et Techniques de Communication (ISTC).

“I took communication courses in English as my electives during my time at ISTC, and I also took a beginner French course,” she said. “That was certainly helpful as I navigate d the language there.”

The trip was not Schmitt’s first time out of the country. Her mother is German and she has family living in Germany, so she has been to Europe for visits a few times.

Studying abroad isn’t an inexpensive proposition, however, Schmitt received two scholarships to help with the trip and her living expenses during the fall semester. She was awarded the very competitive Gilman Scholarship, which provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduates with financial need for study abroad, and McGlothlin Study Abroad Award, a part of the McGlothlin International Education Fund established by the

McGlothlin family in memory of their mother, Sally Ann Cook McGlothlin ’36

“I worked extremely hard to receive those scholarships,” she said, “and they will allow me to be financially stable while building on my education. It’s wonderful that Radford gives students the access and opportunity to have these experiences.”

Schmitt hasn’t decided on her exact career path once she graduates, but she has some ideas.

“I would love to move close to the ocean and work for the military since I enjoy traveling,” she said. “I’m an extrovert and love talking to people, which will fit perfectly with my communication degree.”

Schmitt also says she may explore opportunities to work internationally since she will have lots of experience doing just that after last fall.

“These paths are not set in stone,” she said. “But that is what’s great about this time in my life. I can do anything, and Radford University has helped me get here.”

More information about these types of scholarships and funds that help students have unique learning experiences can be found throughout the pages of this magazine.

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