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The majority of the more than 500 students scheduled to study abroad or Study USA this fall have instead enrolled in on-campus courses, many because their programs were canceled and some deciding to pursue global engagement in spring 2021 or a future term instead.

However, 19 undergraduate and graduate students are studying abroad or Studying USA this fall.

Students are on a range of programs, including:

• Study abroad in Germany, Rwanda, South Korea and the United Kingdom
• Study USA in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
• Business Dual Degree in Spain, France and Germany
• Physical Therapy clinical placements in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado and Pennsylvania

Global engagement during a pandemic inherently comes with more variables and ambiguity, including dynamic travel regulations, on-site health and safety considerations, risks to local vulnerable populations, and whether modifications are possible without compromising the integrity of the program.

All of this means that global engagement will look different for these 19 students 鈥� perhaps from how it ever has or ever will look again.

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After months of waiting and not knowing, Caren聽Aveldanez聽鈥�21聽and Ally聽Shearon聽鈥�22 this fall finally boarded a plane for Berlin, Germany.聽For Shearon,聽this summer was filled with waiting and uncertainty. In fact, she聽spent the summer expecting her fall program in Berlin to be canceled.

鈥淓ven a month before we were planning on coming, I was not expecting to go,鈥� Shearon said.

She kept waiting for the moment that she received the email telling her that the program was聽canceled, but聽even in the face of such uncertainty,聽she was determined聽to make her plans a reality. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to let it go until they told me that I physically could not go to Germany,” she said. “As long as Germany was going to let us in, and Elon was going to let us go, then I still wanted聽to go.鈥�

Both Aveldanez聽and Shearon聽are German studies minors聽and were eager to immerse themselves in the language and culture.聽They聽had heard positive聽feedback from friends about , noting their preference for a more intimate聽program in which they could build strong relationships with their professors and program director.

Fortunately for聽Aveldanez聽and Shearon,聽the CIEE program聽was able to safely move forward with their plans for the fall聽in Berlin. For Aveldanez, a senior graduating in May, this was particularly good news. She had been planning to study abroad during the fall聽semester of her senior year for a long time聽in order to work聽around major and minor requirements.

鈥淔or me, it was either I go聽now, or I don鈥檛 go at all,鈥� said Aveldanez, who was overjoyed that she was able to follow through with her plans聽to study in Berlin this fall.

As soon as they arrived in聽Germany,聽Aveldanez聽and Shearon were both tested for COVID-19聽in the airport聽before quarantining in a hotel. Once聽they received their negative test results, they were both tested a second time and聽then聽were allowed to move into their residence halls.

Aveldanez聽and Shearon chose their聽courses聽carefully to maximize their time abroad.聽Their courses all include site visits and excursions,聽turning聽classroom聽learning into a hands-on experience聽that聽inspires聽the students聽to explore the world around them.聽Aveldanez聽and Shearon both love聽their聽unique聽and appropriately聽local聽class聽鈥淭he Grimm Brothers,鈥� which聽explores German聽folk tales.

Their professors come from different backgrounds and are passionate聽about what they teach.聽Because of the small class sizes,聽Aveldanez聽and Shearon have been able to get to know them well, often receiving recommendations for restaurants to try and places around the city to visit.聽Their Italian professor,聽who teaches聽Food, Nutrition,聽and Culture,聽once took them to a farmer鈥檚 market to聽purchase聽ingredients to cook聽a meal聽together,聽which they all had a lot of fun with.

However, their time in Berlin has not been without聽setbacks. On聽Nov. 1,聽the country began a one-month聽partial聽lockdown in response to rising cases聽of COVID-19, which included shuttering聽restaurants,聽bars and entertainment venues. Aveldanez聽and Shearon say it is more difficult to be in a lockdown in a foreign country, but they feel more secure because of the support from their professors and program director.

鈥淲e can still go to museums and explore the city, which has been our main priority since day one.聽鈥疻e鈥檝e been spending a lot of time with the other people on our program, going to parks,聽and making meals together. The main difference is just that restaurants and bars aren鈥檛 open, so we鈥檙e spending more time at home but keeping busy as much as we can!鈥澛爏aid Shearon.

Aveldanez聽and Shearon maintain their optimism and look forward to enjoying聽what the city has to offer them.聽Ally聽landed an internship in Berlin through CIEE with a聽German start-up聽company聽for her last six weeks in the city, which she is very excited to start.聽They have had the opportunity to go through this聽experience with a small group of other students 鈥� only nine others 鈥� allowing them to form strong bonds聽with one another.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting any of this to happen, so being here was a shock.聽Everything we do, every trip we take, I鈥檓 always looking forward to it,” said Aveldanez.