Capitol Hill Event Highlights Career Outcomes of Education Abroad

Education abroad advocates, business leaders, and government officials gathered on Capitol Hill on February 5, 2026, for a breakfast event celebrating the power of education abroad to accelerate careers and fuel workforce development. 

Hosted as part of the fieldwide “Education Abroad: The Career Catalyst” campaign, the breakfast event featured remarks from Melissa Torres, President & CEO of The Forum on Education Abroad; Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI); and Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN). Rep. Shreve spoke about his scholarship support for study abroad programs at his alma mater, Indiana University. 

“We are better off as a world when we exchange, and when we are sending our best and brightest in both directions to spur growth, and also to understand it,” Amo said.

Following introductory remarks, a panel of education and business leaders shared personal and professional perspectives on how education abroad advances career success. Panelists included Dr. Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators; Dr. Trevor Gunn, retired Vice President, International Relations at Medtronic and founder and chair of the USA Healthcare Alliance; and Maurice Nick, MBA, Senior Manager of Accessories Supply Planning at Under Armour. 

Attendees learned about recently conducted research that demonstrates the ways education abroad is a strategic investment in student success. Among the research findings: 

• 90% of alumni said they built in-demand job skills through study abroad, including critical thinking, adaptability, and cross-cultural communications; 
• Business students who studied abroad earned on average $4,159 in their first jobs after graduation than their peers who did not; 
• With their earnings premium, employed alumni added $1.8 billion in income to the U.S. economy in 2024.

“We believe support for study abroad and international internships is a smart economic and workforce development strategy,” Torres said. “While career outcomes are by no means the only benefit of studying abroad, they are of particular importance now, given the increasingly global marketplace and need for companies to be globally competitive.”

The Career Catalyst

​Research presented at the breakfast was conducted for the Education Abroad: The Career Catalyst campaign, a field-wide effort to demonstrate how education abroad equips students with real-world skills, professional agility, and a broader perspective that sets them apart in the workforce. For full research findings, research highlights by audience, and ways to get involved in the campaign, visit the Career Catalyst webpage. 

The Forum offers thanks to the campaign’s Founding Supporters: API Foundation, CEA CAPA Education Abroad, IES Abroad, ISEP Study Abroad, University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), WorldStrides Higher Ed (WorldStrides), Arizona State University Global Education, CIS Abroad, and Tennessee Consortium for International Studies.

​The Forum also thanks the Centers for International Business Education and Research at the following institutions for their support: Florida International University, George Washington University, Indiana University, Loyola Marymount University, Ohio State University, San Diego State University, Temple University, University of Maryland and University of South Carolina.