Wahoos Share Their Experiences Abroad on Snapchat

By Kelly Kauffman , kk4bb@virginia.edu

July 21, 2017

From Singapore to Morocco, ’Hoos are studying abroad all around the globe. Now you can experience UVA’s Education Abroad programs firsthand on Snapchat.

Recently, UVA launched the Snapchat takeover series, which allows students to access UVA’s Snapchat account to showcase their experiences on Grounds. The Snapchat takeovers have brought UVA’s highly rated student experience to thousands of Snapchat users and gave a firsthand look at student life on Grounds.

In the 2016-17 academic year, UVA’s Snapchat takeovers expanded globally with help from the International Studies Office. These six students were selected from among the 1,946 undergraduate and 1,077 graduate students who participated in the Education Abroad program in the last year.

Rising second-year Spanish student Ian Fraser documented his experience studying abroad in Spain. Dedicated to showcasing the best of Valencia, Fraser gave a bike tour of the city on Snapchat, which he described as one of the “most fast-paced and exciting days I spent in Valencia.”

For foreign affairs and French student Sarah Rupert, taking over UVA’s Snapchat account broadened her experience in Rabat, Morocco. In her Snap story, she featured her Moroccan classmates and learned more about them in the process.

“They wanted to hear what questions Americans were asking about Morocco and Moroccans,” she said. “The Snapchat takeover allowed me to interact with some Moroccans in a new way.”

Rupert also found that her takeover generated interest about her study-abroad program among UVA’s followers.

“People were genuinely surprised that UVA had a program in Morocco, and were interested in learning more,” she said.

(Students who are on Grounds or are studying abroad can still apply online to take over the account. Follow us to see a firsthand look at the abroad experience.)

Snaps may come and go, but we have managed to save a few stories from these ’Hoos living abroad. Click on the images below to view snaps of UVA students sharing their experiences abroad: