Student Ambassador, Zaylee Misic, shares some insight on what the Global Engagement office can offer students here at JCCC. Photo By: Nathan Schweiger 

Zaylee Misic was still in Japan when the offer came. 

She had spent the summer there on a short-term study-away program through Johnson County Community College, finally chasing an interest she had carried for as long as she could remember. Before she flew home, the college’s Global Engagement office reached out to students who had studied abroad to ask if any wanted to become student ambassadors. 

Misic interviewed and took the job. 

When asked if there was a moment she knew she was glad she got involved, Misic didn’t hesitate. 

“Every day, honestly. I just really love this job,” Misic said. 

Now Misic is the one trying to get other students on a plane, and the obstacle she runs into again and again is cost. Many students, especially those planning to transfer to a four-year university, rule out studying abroad before they ever look into it. 

“They’ve never even considered it because of that reason,” Misic said. 

The college built its programs with those students in mind. 

Most of the office’s faculty-led and summer programs cost less than $4,000, according to Global Awareness Program coordinator Queen Wilkes, with destinations ranging from Japan and Iceland to Mexico and Italy. Compared with what students find at four-year universities, Wilkes called those prices “a dream come true.” 

“You have an idea of a place,” Wilkes said. “But actually being there and experiencing it is something that’s hard to put into words.” 

The office recently formed an internationalization task force to expand global learning across campus, part of a larger effort to change how people think about community colleges. 

“Most of the time community colleges are not associated with global learning,” Wilkes said. 

Only about a third of community colleges in the country have a study abroad office at all, according to Wilkes, and few of those that do offer as many programs as JCCC. For many students, that access carries real weight. Not everyone goes on to a four-year school, and Wilkes pointed out that community college may be the last chance some students have to see the world through their education. 

“JCCC students are really lucky,” Wilkes said. 

For language learners, the trips offer something a classroom can’t. Some programs require a certain language level, which pushes students to keep up with their classes. 

“It’s kind of hard to immerse yourself in Japanese language in Kansas,” Wilkes said. 

The trips can also reshape what students want to do with their lives. Wilkes traveled with the Teaching English in Japan program this summer, and some students came home more certain about that career path while others decided to change course. 

Wilkes heard it from students firsthand: “I thought that I wanted to work with higher education, but I actually think I want to work with young kids.” 

Programs can follow narrower interests too. Wilkes said the office tailors experiences to what students care about, whether a student wants to learn about tech and graphic design in Japan or how chocolate is made in Costa Rica. Students who travel to Iceland study climate change and geology, and some return with a more passionate perspective on sustainability. Because the programs focus on study rather than just travel, the experience can shape a student’s career long after they return. 

Still, the office does more than send students overseas. 

“People call us the study abroad office because that’s what we get most associated with,” Wilkes said. 

Students don’t need to leave the Midwest to get involved. The Global Awareness Program, known as GAP, combines language and globally focused classes with a capstone on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students also attend eight global activities on campus or in the community, from Japan Fest to international film screenings to lunches with international professionals. 

For Misic, her job has become real-world experience. She manages the office’s Instagram page, building the marketing skills she’ll need for her career, and works every day with people from around the world. 

“It’s been an incredible opportunity,” Misic said. “I plan to go into marketing and international business, so it kind of goes a little bit hand in hand.” 

That kind of growth is what Wilkes hopes every student gets, with the office behind them along the way. 

“We don’t want your first experience with an international company or international opportunity to be when you don’t have any support,” Wilkes said. “Let us do the heavy lifting so that you can focus on learning.” 

Misic took that offer and ran with it. One summer program led to a job, and that job is already pointing her toward a career. She hopes more students follow her lead, especially those who have written study abroad off.  

“If someone’s transferring and they’ve never even considered studying abroad, then maybe it’d be great for them to get involved here,” Misic said.