Firsts Abroad - by Jeremy Townley (Paperback)

About the Book

Firsts Abroad argues that because of their life experiences and non-traditional paths through college, first-generation students possess skills and savvy developed in their families that help them take advantage of their time overseas. While abroad, these students develop social networks, cultural knowledge, and new worldviews that facilitate upward social mobility.

Book Synopsis

Across the country, flagship universities and liberal arts colleges, regional state campuses and Ivy League institutions continue to adapt to a globalized economy. One key internationalization strategy is study abroad. But who gets to have an overseas experience? In Firsts Abroad, Jeremy Townley explores the stories of first-generation college students who participated in study abroad. Because of their multicultural, multilingual backgrounds, nontraditional paths to and through college, and hard-won life experiences, first-generation students possess knowledge, skills, and savvy developed in their families that help them take advantage of their time overseas. While abroad, these students also experience significant gains in social networks and cultural knowledge, as well as important transformations in worldview, that allow for the possibility of upward social mobility. This powerfully argued book reveals that study abroad, so important in a globalized world, may be most essential for students historically underserved by higher education.

Review Quotes

"Firsts Abroad is a beautifully written book that provides a compelling account of U.S. students' experiences studying overseas. It shows how such mobility can significantly benefit those who are the first in their family to attend higher education and reveals the important attributes and insights such students can bring with them which enable them to thrive. This is an uplifting book that should be read widely by all those with an interest in student mobility, whether from an academic or practice-based perspective."

"This is a wonderful book, full of deep insights. Its arguments draw upon rich interview data, which have been gathered sensitively and with empathy. The book gives a voice to students often marginalized in debates around international mobilities."

About the Author

JEREMY TOWNLEY directs the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program at Oregon State University. He has published in Harvard Review, The New York Review of Books, Slate, and elsewhere.