JumpstartTU is a one-week international experience designed to serve as an introduction to the University of Tulsa’s academic and campus life through an intensive, transformative trip. While some might find an international trip to be an unusual introduction to college life in Tulsa, Vivian Wang, vice provost for global engagement, explains it this way: “JumpStartTU is the gateway to TU, a truly global university. We take our first-year students beyond borders to broaden their horizons, building unwavering confidence and cultivating a deep appreciation for cultural understanding.”
JumpstartTU began in the summer of 2017 when the first freshmen ventured to Panama. Until this year, Panama was the only destination offered. Last year, the program added Mexico to its choices of travel.
Wang says the decision to add Mexico was grounded in key partnerships: “TU wants students to see where they can potentially come back to for study abroad programs, which help to enhance partnerships and TU’s global presence. Expanding to Mexico is part of TU’s strategic plan to expand its destination offerings, making JumpstartTU even more impactful globally.”
Professor of Spanish Bruce Willis was glad to serve as a faculty leader and travel to Mexico. “Hosting the program in San Luis Potosi, Tulsa’s sister city since 1980, allows us to strengthen the bond between our communities while showing students a vibrant, midsize city in central Mexico that’s quite unlike other tourist areas,” he said. “Students gained hands-on learning experiences at a mental health clinic in the city and learned about ecotourism while enjoying the many stunning waterfalls of the La Huasteca region of San Luis Potosi state.”
Said first-year student Abigail Chow of Jenks, Oklahoma: “Having the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture through JumpstartTU’s trip to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, has developed a deeper love for experiential learning within me. I learned the power of language and networking that motivated me to pursue a minor in Spanish.”
In addition to her educational inspiration, Chow wants to incorporate “the enthusiasm for community engagement and celebration” she experienced in San Luis Potosi into the TU campus. “The type of experiential learning JumpstartTU promoted during our trip united my peers and me from all walks of life together as we were thrown into a new environment with new experiences and exploration,” she said.
Wang notes the importance of JumpstartTU to the success she’s witnessed firsthand among the students who embark on this immersive journey. “More of these students take advantage of study-abroad programs, courses, and exchange programs later in their college careers. They are more likely to pursue a foreign language and be leaders on campus, helping other students, and serve as peer advisers for study abroad programs,” she said.
TU hopes to expand JumpstartTU to more students and more locations in the coming years, including a trip to Germany next year. “The hope is to eventually offer five countries for destinations available to students,” Wang said. “At TU, the world is our classroom. We are not just preparing our students for college; we are preparing them for a world without borders.”
Check out all of the study abroad opportunities at TU’s Center for Global Engagement.