We often talk about how getting a college education is one of the most important steps to becoming a responsible citizen and making a valuable contribution to society and future generations.

But is that all it takes?

Is taking the minimum required classes for a degree in your field enough to make one ready for the real world, or is there a problem – across the entire country perhaps – that involves our education system being too self-centered and isolated from the rest of the world? I think so.

It may come as a surprise to some of us that someone like Donald Trump is able to garner so much support in this country and the fact that he has been able to gain such an enormous advantage in polls reflects a nationwide lack of global awareness.

According to the Institute of International Education, more than 300,000 U.S. students took the opportunity to study abroad for academic credit in 2015. Although this may seem like a big number, in the bigger picture, that is a mere 1.5 percent of all U.S. students enrolled in higher education institutions.

It is truly disappointing that in a world where there is such an emphasis on a global community and working together to achieve peace and greater goals, our next generation of leaders and the working class are doing so little to contribute to this cause.

If students took the opportunity to study abroad and learn some new, unexplored skills, it would be easier for them to find a job right after college. At least that’s what the numbers are suggesting.

A recent survey conducted by the University of Hawaii noted that “40 percent of companies surveyed missed international business opportunities because of a lack of internationally competent personnel.”

I asked Jessica Cassleman, Assistant Dean in the Honors College, a few questions about the experiences she has had working with students studying abroad, as well as her general impression on the effect an international education has on the student body as a whole.

“Becoming a citizen of the world might be the best learning outcome they acquire in college,” Cassleman said.

It is disappointing that with such a multitude of global issues surfacing every day, such little emphasis is placed on becoming a global citizen.

Patriotism is still important – understanding the values of this nation is one of the most valuable qualities we can possess – but putting that patriotism into a global perspective and understanding the problems and cultures of the rest of the world is just as important and that should be part of our responsibility as college students.

“We also need to address the underlying issues that affect societies in the world, we need to learn about the causes of global problems as well,” Cassleman stated. “We are no longer part of a small community, we are all part of a larger community and understanding global issues is crucial to world peace, maintaining positive relations with others and for the advancement of sciences.”

Studying abroad is more than just learning a foreign language, or helping unprivileged people in a poverty-stricken country over a summer. It’s part of a lifelong process that centers on being the solution to the chaos that so often clouds our planet.

Approximately 95 percent of consumers live outside of the Unites States, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. If that is the case, then even if becoming a global citizen seems unimportant, commercially, it is in one’s best interest to familiarize oneself with the ways of other cultures.

Apart from creating a wider context in our lives, studying abroad is definitely something to put on one’s resume and as Cassleman puts it, “those achievements will open many doors for [students] in their professional lives, plus [students] will continue traveling, enjoying different cultures and understanding others better while enriching the lives of others.”

WSU has gone above and beyond to make studying abroad available and affordable. WSU’s stated strategic goal is to “graduate globally engaged citizens,” and WSU has also pledged to increase the number of students studying abroad annually to 1,000 by 2019.

“Take a leap of faith, study abroad or engage with others on campus with different cultures, languages or religions. Break the barriers of fear. Your life will be transformed and you will make a significantly larger impact in the world by challenging yourself now, as a student,” Cassleman said.