Alexandra Dionisi has studied abroad through programs including the Critical Language Scholarship for Bahasa, Indonesia and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study in Spain. Alexandra has a learning disability (ADHD) and works with students with developmental disabilities. Her project aims to create a guide for students with disabilities and host an event to promote study abroad.
Introduce yourself. Share information on your disability, and your academic/career interests.
My name is Alexandra Salman. I am an adult learner with both ADHD and PTSD. I was diagnosed with them in my twenties, and I manage both with a combination of medication and talk therapy. My academic interests are social science and language learning. Currently, I am a mental health case manager at a community college. My career goal is to become a study abroad advisor at an American research university.
Describe your international education experience.
My first foray into international education was virtually learning Indonesian with the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program during 2020 and 2021. A year after this program ended, I became a campus advisor for CLS and the Gilman International Scholarship. In 2023, I decided to resume my studies and this is when I applied for the Gilman. I finally got to live my study abroad dreams in 2024 when I went to Bilbao, Spain for 5 weeks of study at the University of Deusto.
What was the biggest challenge that you encountered?
My biggest challenge while abroad was adapting to the local Basque and Spanish cultures. I often felt very alone abroad, and the culture shocks were sometimes too much to bear. I relied on my friends a lot.
Describe your top three gains from your exchange experience.
- I have a near-perfect comprehension of spoken Spanish now.
- My confidence in travelling in big and medium cities grew.
- I became a better advocate for myself and others abroad.
Is there anything about your exchange experience that you would have done differently?
I think I would have opted to study in a Latin American country as I am more familiar with the cultures and dialects of that region.
The Access to Exchange Externship Is a Program of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange. NCDE is a project of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, designed to increase the participation of people with disabilities in all kinds of international exchanges between the United States and other countries, and is supported in its implementation by Mobility International USA.
