iCharleston is a unique first-year international bridge program that has become a big success a decade on.
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Above: Students participating in iCharleston Dublin
While all roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes, did you know that one of the roads to the College of Charleston goes through Rome? And London? And Dublin?
It’s true. Through iCharleston, the College’s innovative admissions pathway that is celebrating its 10th anniversary, almost 500 students have completed the first-semester study-abroad program. The nine cohorts have resulted in a 93% retention rate from fall abroad to spring on campus.
“iCharleston is a unique and innovative first-year international bridge program that encourages future College of Charleston first-year students to grow as individuals, develop an affinity for the College of Charleston and actively engage in a high-impact educational experience within a supportive community emphasizing global citizenry through a holistic academic experience abroad,” says Bruce Fleming, director of First Year International and Experiential Programs. “iCharleston provides enrollment opportunities to talented candidates interested in beginning their college career abroad.”
Co-developed with Jimmie Foster Jr., vice president of enrollment planning, iCharleston was a co-initiative and cross-collaboration between Office of Admissions and New Student Programs, with the first cohort going abroad in fall 2014.
“iCharleston was built to give prospective students a world-class international experience to launch their educational careers with the College of Charleston,” Foster says. “What an exciting way to begin your college career!”
The 10th cohort this year consists of 79 students, with 39 in London at the Foundation for International Education, 24 in Rome at the American University of Rome and 16 in Dublin at the Dublin Business School Campus supported by Big Pond Education. Partnering with strong academic institutions in desirable locations has been one of the keys to the program’s success.
“Our partners provide academic, social and personal support to ensure our iCharleston participants have an amazing semester abroad experience, as well as provide a professional framework for our site director teams to grow and develop in this all-important role,” Fleming says, adding that finding the right students is also key: “someone who has an academically adventurous mind and sees the benefits of studying abroad as a first-semester student.”
Students like international business major Emerson Schaeffer ‘19, part of the London 2015 cohort who is now an associate management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“I consider my experience with iCharleston the most defining moment of my college experience,” he says. “My time in London led me to pursue a degree in international business to study abroad twice more. The international experience and the education provided by the College has proven helpful in my career as a management consultant.”
Going off to college can be hard enough, let alone going off to one out of the country, but most iCharleston students thrived, much to their surprise.
“To be honest, like many rising college freshmen, I was terrified,” says Maris Ackerman ’22, a communication major who was in London in 2018 and is now working on her master’s degree in public relations and advertising at DePaul University. “But I tried really hard to have an open mind about the program and the process. My biggest fear was that I was not going to be able to make friends, and I was going to go through my time abroad alone. What I didn’t put together is that the rest of my cohort was going through the same thing, so we all connected really fast and quickly became a little family.”
Many, such as Virginia Swift ’19, who was in London in 2015, also discovered their majors and career interests during their semester abroad. The cum laude graduate is now the manager of programs at the Preservation Society of Charleston.
“When studying abroad in London, most if not all of my classes used the city as a classroom,” she recalls. “I distinctly remember a moment standing in the British Museum thinking, This is what I want to do one day. A bit later on in the semester, I again found myself in the Tate Modern for Art History class seeing an installation take place and thinking, I’ve got to figure out how to make this my career! My experiences in London reaffirmed my decision to major in arts management, which is why I initially wanted to attend CofC, but also to add on a double major in historic preservation and community planning.”
They also learned invaluable life skills by getting pushed out of their comfort zones. Her time in Kelowna, Canada, in 2017 taught communication major Marina Craig ‘21 to take risks and embrace new experiences, for example.
“Change or the idea of the unknown is difficult to face, and I firmly believe you can let it scare you away or lean into it,” says Craig, now a licensing coordinator with Jackson + Coker health care staffing agency. “I chose to lean into it, and I still find myself embracing it in my everyday life. I was able to better handle the transition back to CofC campus, too. I met new people, joined different groups and pushed myself to participate in more on-campus activities – and even did another semester abroad.
“Studying abroad so early also pushed me to embrace different cultures and personalities, which has helped me in my postgraduate life,” she adds. “I have traveled, started a new career, moved states/cities and even changed jobs along the way. If I had not taken the leap out of my comfort zone that seems to have started with iCharleston, I’m not sure I would have built the relationships and had the amazing experiences and job that I have now.”
The impact the program has had on the students has pleasantly surprised Fleming and Foster, which is why they want to make it even bigger and better.
“Ten years ago, I don’t think I could have imagined that the program would be thriving as it is today,” Foster says. “We are on the precipice of expanding the program in new ways that include the possibility of new sites and including more students. It’s really extraordinary.”
