Global Opportunities Unlocked: Preparing Teens for Studying Abroad with Arlayna Alcock

Hello parents, is your teen college ready? My name is Shellee Howard, the founder and CEO of College Ready, and today I have a wonderful guest to share with you. I'd like to introduce Miss Arlena Alcock. Welcome to the show.

Hi Shellee, thanks for having me today. I really appreciate it.

You got it. So listeners, I'm going to have our guest give you a little bit of her background so you know, is this a good fit for you. And go ahead.

Okay, my name is Arlena Alcock, and I am a college career coach by day, and by night I work with, uh, local kids who are thinking of, um, trying to choose careers and also study abroad as part of that experience. And I also have another business where I help international students who are already in the country transition into work and volunteer opportunities and trying to navigate the culture. So, uh, how I started out was I'm a cultural anthropology major in university, and I had the opportunity to be an international student myself. So I was from a very, uh, small, small university, and I got on the plane and I went to Mexico City for 2 years. And I remember flying in to, uh, that big city at night, and I could see the lights forever and ever, and I wondered, what have I done? And I didn't know the language or anything. And so I ended up spending— I had a wonderful 2-year experience there. And now I spend a lot of time helping people with developing their own international experiences, whether they're leaving— I'm in Canada, actually— and whether leaving Canada or coming in into Canada and what all of that entails too. So That's, that's where I'm at right now. Yeah.

Okay. So I'm going to break that down a little bit because that was a lot. And I'm like, well, that's interesting. And that's really interesting. So you've led a really interesting life. So did you grow up in Canada or do you live there now?

I grew up in Canada in a small city called Medicine Hat, actually near the Rocky Mountains. Oh, I know Banff. Everybody's heard of Banff. Yeah.

What I love about Canadians is your love for the world. Every one of my Canadian friends is so well traveled. I don't— I can't say across the culture for sure, but some of my best travel friends are Canadians. So I think it might just be part of, you know, that culture. But how did you first— were you in high school when you thought, I want to do something different? Like, Put yourself back in your, you know, your high school years. Did you know that you wanted to do something like study abroad? Was that part of the plan?

I always wanted to travel. I think partly because I was in a small city and I wanted to leave and see the world. But I actually went to university and I was studying drama and English, and I thought I'd be a teacher. And that's what I started out doing. My father had all these National Geographics for years and years in the basement. And I always had sort of this awe for the world based on that. And when I took my first anthropology class by accident, because we had to take these extra forced options outside of our major, and I'm like, this is so amazing. It's like English and anthropology, and I could see the world. And that's when I started. You know, thinking about that, and then I switched my major. And then a lot of people were going to Japan at the time to teach English. So, that was kind of a bug. I knew that you could kind of get out and do that sort of thing. And so, I started thinking about how I could get myself on one of those things. I wanted to go to Israel, actually, at one point. I was in an archaeology class, and I got a part-time job, and my dad thought the area was too dangerous, so he wouldn't let me go. But then I finagled Mexico, and then I was there for, uh, 2 years then. So I stayed with a family. Yeah.

What part of Mexico?

Mexico City. I went in a part of Mexico City called Coyoacán. Yeah. And I went to 2 universities, Colegio de México and the UNAM. So one was for Spanish and the other one was English. It was all in English. And I was just— did these independent studies supervised by my professor at the university in Canada.

Okay, yeah, so you did a very non-traditional, um, educational path, which is such a beautiful gift to families who have— you know, what would be the perfect candidate or the perfect student to do something similar or something study abroad? You know, how would a parent even know if their child could or should do this?

I think, uh, it's for any, anyone who has a bit of sense of adventure. I think two-thirds of undergraduate students are women, young women that do it, and only one-third are men. And that is because the research shows that women tend toward the languages and the humanities and those types of things, and men are in business and engineering and tech. And there are fewer of those types of opportunities, uh, in the undergrad experience, although more and more there are some. But that changes when they go to master's and PhD level, the men start finding research opportunities abroad and they start, start going in that direction. They see it more of value, I think, to their career, where I think women are, you know, the language and the communications and people are often a natural inclination. It depends what they're studying, and it depends on, you know, if the child of course wants to go. It could be a It's a big adventure for sure.

Yeah. Yes, I love it. So I was intrigued. I can't remember how I came across you in the first place, but my fourth child is studying in the Czech Republic, Prague, and we're from California. And I remember she came to me in, I want to say, her sophomore year of high school. And, you know, her oldest brother went to Harvard and her oldest sister went to University of Alabama. Nope. US, not, not a big, huge thing. And then her next brother went to San Francisco State. And so when she came and said, hey, can I talk to you guys? And she put this nicely out on the table. I remember just being like, I don't even know what to say. Like, I didn't— it didn't cross my mind because the, the, the older 3 hadn't done it. And so, um, of all of them, I never thought that she would be the one. So are there characteristics, or are there, um, certain things that help students be successful doing this? Because she's finishing, um, she's getting a, a US and international business degree in 3 years for $27,000 total.

Mm-hmm.

And it's mind-blowing to me that she's graduating in 2025. Mm-hmm. And now she's had this experience of this international lifestyle. She is coming back to the US, but she's probably a great example of the students that you could help and support. Um, do you help full-time or just students who wanna study abroad for a year?

There are different kinds of experiences. There's some that are very short-term. They could be a summer internship. It could be just for a couple of months, sometimes even for just a week, right? If— or 10 days if somebody wanted to go and just have a French immersion experience in Quebec or France or something like that, right? So there's different things for different people. Some are unpaid and some are paid internships as well. So the idea is to explore what's available and what they're interested. So maybe if someone is not really sure, not as adventurous, as some, a short one would be the best way to just satisfy that, that curiosity. And, and, you know, at, cuz often some people, there are ones that at the end of your program too, when you've graduated, are about for new grads. There are, um, internships. I was recently involved with a youth internship program where we sent, um, uh, students for 4 months for a paid internship in their field to Africa and Latin America. And so if they're in marketing, they were going to an NGO to do marketing, et cetera. So that was— is something directly related with their, their work. And they were meeting high-level people and diplomats and NGO leaders. And it was a fabulous experience and a real boost to their career in, in that sense, where some people are looking just more for the, you know, learning a language or having an interesting experience, right?

Yeah, I mean, I want a do-over. I'm like, that sounds really great. I love that idea. So when we, when we talk to students in our program who are looking to study abroad for a year, it's usually through the university themselves. But what about for like a gap year? Say a student isn't ready to quite leave for college. Because they just don't know what they want to do. They, they just feel unsure. And so I'll have a parent ask me, what are the opportunities for that gap year? Is that something you're able to help students with?

Again, that's just research. It's very individualized. So certainly some, uh, there are programs for longer, or some decide to get a visa, a work visa, student work visa. Um, Canada is part of, for example, of the Commonwealth, so it's really easy to go to Australia or Ireland or something like that based on the student visa, and they just get these jobs and, you know, on a farm or as a nanny or something like that and kind of tootle around doing that. So it depends what they're after. Some have been on sailboats, you know, they do a 6-month thing on a sailboat and have that experience. So it's about finding, working with the student and finding where the opportunities are based on what they're interested in and just seeing what we can come up with for the timeframe that they're looking for. It's a great idea for a gap year. For sure.

Yeah, I, I warn families, um, with caution that it's not a year to, to do nothing and procrastinate. It needs to be a very thought-out year, like an internship or something valuable. Um, how does it benefit a student to have this international experience? What, what are the benefits to them, um, long-term and short-term?

Well, the short term is I think it really builds adaptability, resilience, and self-confidence because you're actually going away not only from your home, which your home base of university if you've left home, and you really have to figure things out for yourself because sometimes there just isn't so many people to help you. And I think students come back a little bit, a lot more confident. In fact, if they last through their whole internship, etc. That's, that's the immediate benefit. Obviously language and culture and, but I think as an exploration, they might get a business idea. I had a student who went to Africa to work in a school helping out, and she came back and she knew she wanted to be a nurse, you know, so that experience helped her decide what she wanted to do. And then, um, just the business that you get global connections potentially if, if you're in that tech and business. Kind of entrepreneurship world. So the thing is, we don't know where it leads to many. For me, it made my career. And I think this is surprising what it can give you. And that's— I don't think there is a clear outcome sometimes. And that's hard for people. Like, we have, you know, for some parents, it is a surprise, right? Like, why would you do this when you could be finishing your school and getting it done and getting a job? And we find that too, particularly with first generation. Students who have immigrant parents, it's all about academics and about getting the job as quickly as possible. But we found too that as some students, especially with the youth internship program, they wanted to go back to their home country because they hadn't had that experience and they could reconnect with family and that culture that, you know, their parents talk about. And so that, you know, there's sometimes they have to make sort of a business case to the parent. To, so those, you know, there is not always a clear outcome, but I think it enriches a person's life with many wonderful memories. I know for me in Mexico City, I mean, I just, the art of some from such a small city, right? The art and the music city and music and all the mix of cultures. It was just, um, a really enriching experience that, that stays with me for the rest of my life.

Absolutely. There's so many places I'd like to go with this. What about for the parent who may be feeling a little concerned? What can you share to help alleviate some of that concern or that worry?

I think the parent should read things about where their child is going. I think making sure they have the phone numbers of the program, of the place, the organization that they're working for. Where the home that they're living in, making sure they have all those contact information as well. I think they should have worked out a really strong budget because there's surprises. And one of the fun surprises is somebody says, hey, let's go to this other country for the weekend. If you're in a place and you need, you need probably more money sometimes than, than you think. And if a student was leaving their part-time job, you know, Uh, so they have, should have a clear budget. I think the parent for themselves should realize there's a time difference. So they're trying to get a hold of their child and it's a 12-hour difference and, and the child is getting up at 5 in the morning or whatever to talk to them and they're sleepy. And as they get friends, they might wanna talk to you less. And, and that can be hard if you're worried. But I think now when I went, there was just the phone really. Like everybody had to, we had to do our best, but now there's communication really is, is so much easier. But I think you should also have an emergency exit plan. Some of these, if you're going to Switzerland or France, you're probably going to be okay. But if you're going to a developing nation, if there's a natural disaster or we had a, this happened when I was in Mexico, I was with a student, uh, us up here who had been volunteering in an orphanage. And I think knowing the laws of the culture is really important as well, where you're going. She reported her orphanage, the directors, as for misappropriate— what she felt they were misappropriating funds. And so she was actually put in danger and had to kind of leave the— I don't want to scare— scary stories, but knowing that your moral and legal context is different and to be careful about what you're doing. And, you know, their gender difference, like, you know, women don't drink maybe in, in those countries. Be careful about how you're representing your organization, your school, and how you are with the family you're living in. And, and just understand, beginning to understand that it's going to be different and to just kind of be, be cautious about your behavior.

What about for the parent who has had a child say, hey, I really would love to do study abroad or go school abroad. How can you help them? What exactly do you do as far as supporting a family?

So those would be all of those things. Making the plan. Where do you want to go? Where would be the best fit? What can we get out of this? As much as we can determine the outcome, what would be— what we'll be learning. And, um, and making people feel comfortable, making sure that they do have those phone numbers. And have you thought about this? Did everybody get their immunizations? Like just making sure that they're travel ready. And the communication is strong and the budget is strong and that everyone's going to be as safe as possible. Talking about those cultural and legal expectations as well to, you know, if your school tells you not to go into a dangerous area, don't go. You know, those types of things as well. And just try to keep everybody as safe and happy and have as much fun as possible.

Right. So, um, do you work like in a small group, one-to-one? Um, what, What are, what are the opportunities? So say a family is listening and they're like, yeah, I'd like to learn more, my child really wants to do this, but I have no idea where to start. Um, when they reach out to you, what would be an expectation, or, or what would they, um, what can they expect?

Well, it would be one-on-one and with, with the parents That's the small group, I guess, mom, dad, and the child. And if they're local, of course, we can meet, meet in person, but it would be a Zoom call otherwise. And, you know, if they're, if they are in college, they can go to their career services or their international student offices and they can work from there and we can direct someone into that area for that kind of support. But if they're a teen wanting to do a gap year, we would just work together, um, for, uh, up to a couple of months, um, to get them ready to go and find the right, right fit for them.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking about, is when should a family start having this conversation, or when, at what point would they reach out to you, um, if they're considering this option?

Well, I would say the beginning of their last year would be OK. Of high school.

OK, so the beginning of their senior year.

Of their senior year would be the ideal, or by January, right? It depends if you're relaxed about when the start date is. But I know if someone wants to go to university at the end of the year, you want to get going in the abroad experience so you can time it right to go back to school. So any time during that last year, there's probably something no matter when you contact me, that would be a good, good fit. But the earlier the better if they're thinking of a place. That would be great.

Now, financially, for families who have never— don't know anything about this, how much does it cost? Like, um, not just your services, but, but thinking, you know, college in the US equals this amount of money. Experience obviously depends on if they go for a week, a month, a year, or 3 years. How, how, um, do they know? How would a family know if they could afford this for their children?

You know, it is, it is a, a debate. It is a costly experience for, for the most part. So it's, if a person has a job, they're going to be making some money. So I would say on average about 5 to $10,000 depending. It's almost like a first year of university depending on where you're going. But a short experience for, you know, 2 weeks to go and study a language might be $3,000. So it's, it's not necessarily, um, there are ways to— there are scholarships and awards potentially as well once you're in university and college. To help support, support that. But it can be around, around that. I would say $3,000 for sure.

Okay. So, I mean, that's really something a student, if they worked, could honestly do on their own if they were diligent about putting that money aside. So it's, it's not out of control like some things are. I know there are some summer camps here in the US at a university that is substantially more expensive than that. So it's weighing out the pros and the cons. And then what would be some of the opportunities? Maybe just share with, um, the listeners, what are some things that you've been able to place your students in? And, you know, what have they done and what have they gotten out of it? Just a little case study so they can understand the whole perspective.

Mm-hmm. Well, the— there was a group of students going to Japan, and that was for the business, um, the business program. And so they went and did a tour of different, um, different businesses in Japan. And then I worked with them on the debrief, uh, when, when they came back to help them communicate better in their job interviews. Because a lot of students, when they go do these things, actually, especially if it's unpaid, they don't they don't know how to talk about it and they don't know how to use it, utilize it. So we worked on that. But the youth internship program is one of the most interesting ones where they went to Ghana and worked in an early childhood development center because in some of those developing nations they don't do much with preschools. So they went over there to do that and, you know, they were going to be preschool teachers and that really contributed and they were able to develop the programs there, which is something they might not be able to do here as a grad. So that was a really interesting one. That was, uh, but they always have a good time usually wherever they go, right?

Right. I can't imagine not. Um, what about medicine? A lot of my students who are thinking about going medicine in the U.S., it's very hard to get hands-on experience, right? We can do research We can maybe work in a lab. I mean, there's not a ton. What are the opportunities for somebody who's thinking they want to go medicine?

I haven't worked with that group at all, but I would think there would be— that would be something that would be very doable. People always, whatever medical institutions, especially in developing nations, they need assistance. So we had the student who— the orphanages, schools, you know, and the early childhood center. We had the marketing, marketing people, etc.

Yeah, I know when my son went to Oaxaca, Mexico, and he actually got to be part of a surgery delivering a baby, which would never have happened here in the US. It's something he still talks about. Um, he also got to go to Chile, um, and do a, uh, this was through his college, and he got to be part of an organization down there where he got to do medical surgery again, like remove gallstones, something crazy like that. And I'm thinking there's no way they'd have that opportunity here. So, um, are there certain students that you can and can't help, or is it pretty much you can help a family create whatever experience they need?

Well, something like that obviously is through their actual— that's like a practicum, you know, that's arranged by their university. I think we just have to look at what they want to do and explore to see what's out there because I think there's all kinds of things we haven't— like every time I go and look, there's something new and there's more and more of it. There's more exchanges and more possibilities. So I would never say never, but I would say let's try and get your goal and just get as close to it as we can. And, and go from there.

Yeah, I, I think it's amazing. So if a family is listening and they're like, you know, we could really use the support, we have no idea even where to get started, how might they contact you?

Well, I am on LinkedIn, so that's probably the easiest, uh, place to look. And I also have a website, arlainaalcock.com.

Excellent. Well, thank you so very much for your time. And parents, if you are thinking about an international experience for your child, now you have a resource that you can reach out to. And I just encourage you to look at all of your options because knowledge is power. Thank you so much. Um, I really appreciate you being on the show. If you were going to leave last words of encouragement to the listeners, what would that be?

I would say you don't know until you try. If you're worried about how to pay for it or how to organize it or where to go or how to get it done, all it takes is some research and there's usually some program or some way to have some kind of international experience within, within your budget and which makes everybody comfortable as well. Yeah. Wonderful.

Well, thank you so much for being a guest on our podcast and parents, Is your teen college ready? If not, stay tuned for the next episode. Thank you.

Thank you.