For Alfredo Juarez, a Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) major at Purdue Polytechnic in New Albany, studying abroad demands that he balance his needs as a student while also working full time. Nevertheless it has become a recurring tradition throughout his time at Purdue, even though it demands a lot of preparation, planning, and timing.
Juarez is preparing for his fourth study abroad trip this May, a feat that is virtually unheard of-especially for a student with a work schedule as demanding as his.
Far from being a traditional student with free summers, Juarez has been balancing his education with a career at ILPEA Industries, where he works in continuous improvement. He takes two to three classes a semester, and thus has been able to chip away at his degree while gaining real-world engineering experience (not only through his work, but also by his exposure to industries and working cultures in other countries).
"I'm going to a classroom and learning about this, and then I'm going into work and doing it for real." Juarez said. "That's been very, very interesting for me."
Juarez's unique schedule actually made the short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs the perfect fit. Unable to take a full semester away, Juarez found that the Office of Globalization at Purdue Polytechnic's two-week Maymester programs allowed him to gain global experience without sacrificing his career.
His journey began in 2021 with a trip to Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, focusing on the automotive supply chain. He followed that with a trip to Peru and Chile in 2022 to study tech and design, and finally a program in Japan in 2023. This May, he plans to head to South Korea.
Japan tops Juarez's list in multiple areas; even after going to so many countries, the food, the natural beauty and the safety of its cities remain a huge draw for him. Juarez recalled that he spent a lot of time venturing away from the crowded tourist-heavy areas to find hidden gems. "There's always some back pathway that you can take, that takes you away from the tourists," he said. "It takes you to a beautiful area where you can sometimes find, well, anything actually-like a waterfall or a bamboo forest."
Juarez's background has made him a natural leader among fellow students on several study abroad programs. Born in the U.S. and raised in Mexico, Juarez is a fluent Spanish speaker, a skill that proved invaluable during the trips to Peru and Chile.
"I became a kind of translator when we were in South America," Juarez laughed. "It was fun. I mean, I enjoy helping people with the sorts of things you have to do on trips like this. We'd go shopping and you'd have to negotiate prices, and you have to talk with locals to help other students understand where to go."
Juarez's has found sufficient flexibility to make these experiences available to him at Purdue Polytechnic's statewide locations. Some of his studying abroad has synchronized nicely with his travel for work-which has taken him across the U.S., Mexico, and Italy-as a springboard for his academic travels.
"I always start planning way ahead of time," Juarez said of the study abroad programs, noting that he often extends his stays to explore neighboring countries on his own. "I don't limit myself within the area where we're staying."
Despite his busy schedule and the unconventional path he has taken, Juarez credits the support of his professors and his employer for making it all possible.
"There has been a lot of support from professors. ... They've always been very understanding with my situation," he said. "And I have to say that it has also been a lot of support from my work because they allow me to go to class and then come back to work."
“As a co-leader of the 2021 and 2022 global programs, I had the opportunity to see Alfredo fully engage in the academic, cultural, and professional aspects of the experience,” said Rustin Webster, associate professor in the School of Engineering Technology. “Balancing full-time industry work while remaining committed to his studies-and participating in multiple study abroad programs-is exceptional. He consistently elevates the experience for other students through his leadership and maturity.”
Juarez plans to graduate in the spring of 2027. True to form, he is already looking ahead to that final year-not just to finish his capstone project, but to fit in one last international adventure.
"I will have one last chance to do one last study abroad," he said. "I usually look at the entire list of programs, and then I pick somewhere I've never been. That's my only criteria."
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