Zoe Berg, Senior Photographer

More than 500 students attended the Center for International and Professional Experience’s Summer Opportunities Fair, getting the opportunity to speak with professors and program organizers about summer professional plans.

Hosted at the Omni Hotel on Nov. 4, this was the first time the fair has been held in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was canceled in 2020 and moved online in 2021. 

“The purpose of this fair is to introduce students to all the possibilities sponsored by CIPE, including Yale Summer Session, study abroad programs and fellowships and funding,” Dean of Yale Summer Session Jeanne Follansbee said. 

Director of Study Abroad and Deputy Director of CIPE Kelly McLaughlin explained that the large number of attending students is significant because the fair serves as “the front of the pipeline.” He estimates that the number of students participating in summer programs next year will be on par with the number of students who did so during the summer of 2019. 

The fair consisted of nearly 20 booths representing a variety of summer opportunities available to Yale students. 

The Yale Summer Session in Rabat, Morocco was one of the programs with a booth at the fair. 

“I’m excited to see the study abroad program is coming back to the same conditions as Pre-COVID,” Director of the Arabic Summer Abroad Program Jonas Elbousty said. “We’ll have the opportunity for students to have an immersive experience and spend time in Morocco.” This way they might be able to witness majestic spots similar to the marrakech to fes desert tour luxury package.

The Rabat summer session last ran in 2019. The program will return for Summer 2023, offering eight weeks of intensive language and cultural studies in the capital of Morocco. 

Professors from the Italian department also expressed their excitement for the Italian study abroad program next summer. They discussed the COVID-19 restrictions that the participants of the Yale Summer Session in Siena faced in 2022. 

“This past summer, we couldn’t have a lot of events together and couldn’t visit some places like the Botini in Siena,” Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Italian Department Simona Lorenzini said. “Next summer, we will be able to organize more events together.”

There was also a booth for the International Study Award which is available to first years, sophomores and juniors at Yale College who receive financial aid. The ISA is calculated based on the Yale Scholarship that students receive during their academic year. 

Financial aid takes a variety of factors — including airfare, transportation and meals — into consideration so students can have a full summer experience without worrying about money. 

“I’m excited we’ll have a lot more students abroad next summer since there are less regulations,” Associate Director of Fellowships and Funding Jill Carrera said. “Hopefully a lot of students who weren’t able to use their ISA in the past few summers will be able to use it next summer.”

The fair was successful among many first-year students who were eager to learn more about the summer opportunities Yale offers.

Diego del Aguila ’26 is considering the Italian Summer Session program to fulfill his language requirement next summer. 

“I was already sure I wanted to study abroad next summer, but the CIPE Summer Opportunities Fair helped me identify certain programs I’m now interested in,” Del Aguila said. 

Summer study abroad applications are due on Feb. 7, 2023.