The Impact of Student Abroad on Intercultural Competence as a Professional Disposition: Narrative Stories from Student Affairs Professionals

Student affairs professionals (SAP) have been tasked to educate students and provide opportunities to develop skills to live in a culturally diverse and global society. The shortage of culturally competent SAP could hinder students’ abilities to gain intercultural competence. The purpose of this narrative non-fiction study was to understand how SAP’ study abroad experiences helped them to grow and develop intercultural competence. Furthermore, the study aimed to identify how intercultural competence shaped their practices and strategies to provide students with safe environments to gain knowledge and understanding about different cultures. Data collection included three levels of semi-structured interviews. Identified themes from the three stories were analyzed to draw conclusions about the impact of study abroad on intercultural competence and how it affected participants’ careers. Their stories provide a voice of inspiration for students and future SAP to take advantage of the study abroad experience