Kaiden Minter ’26, an international studies major, is spending spring semester studying with the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Belgrade in Serbia.

Louis Wiltenmuth ’25, a mechanical engineering major, wanted to get ahead in classes this past summer, while also gaining some cultural experience. What started as a study abroad experience in Rome, turned into him becoming the cadet in charge of the program.   

A field trip to the NATO Defense College and test driving a prototype electric three-wheel vehicle? All in a week’s work for cadets participating in the VMI Engineering Summer Study Abroad program in Rome.

Todd Lee Goen, new director and senior international officer in the office of global education (formerly known as international programs) at Virginia Military Institute, recently won the coveted Lily von Klemperer Award bestowed by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

One of the primary goals of this program is to give engineering cadets, who don’t often get the chance to study abroad due to their pre-requisite driven curriculum, the opportunity to develop cultural competency skills and learn to live and work in a multi-cultural, multi-national society.

Six military exchange cadets from South Korea, Lithuania, and Poland spent spring semester studying and forming friendships at VMI.

This spring, 35 cadets were on study-abroad programs when the pandemic hit. By March 23, all had safely returned to the United States. At first, it wasn’t clear that they were going to have to leave their host country—and many didn’t want to leave until they absolutely had to.