International experiences in education have led historically to achievements in discovery, research, and cross-cultural collaborations among higher education institutions and their students. The benefits and barriers to study abroad programs, along with the desire to learn from other cultures by embracing academic and human connections, provides valuable lessons for the professional preparation of higher education students. This paper reviews lessons learned from a summer health education study abroad experience. Recommendations in training graduate students with a global perspective – highly valued in today’s job market – are provided as means to further enrich their human potential.