This blog post was originally written for and is cross-posted on the NACADA Blog.

When we received the news that our program was accepted for the 2013 NACADA International Conference, my colleagues and I were elated, honored, and a little bit unsure of what to expect.  We have presented on the topic of using simple technologies to enhance everyday advising several times at state, regional, and national NACADA conferences, but we had never before spoken in front of an international audience.

As we prepared for our travels to University College Maastricht in the Netherlands, we realized we had no idea whether the digital tools we are proud to be repurposing for academic advising would be well received or even relatable.  We wondered if other cultures struggle to get their students to read official university email like we do?  Is Facebook or Twitter as popular in other countries?  Does anyone still use MySpace or other applications that are nearly obsolete in the U.S.?  Has anyone adopted something completely new that we are not even aware of yet?

I believe I can speak for my co-presenters when I say that we learned two very important lessons from our first experience presenting at an international academic advising conference:

1)      NACADA members are a welcoming and supportive group.  They truly are more of a family than an association.

2)      Academic advisors all over the world are curious about, are playing with, and are hungry for more information about using digital tools and social media of all kinds in innovative ways to enhance their interactions with students.

Not only did we receive strong support, encouragement, and appreciation for the presentation we gave, we also made connections with others grappling with similar issues from other countries all around the world.  In fact, because of the smaller nature of this conference, I had the opportunity to spend more quality time with these folks and meet more NACADA leaders than I ever could have at a conference in the U.S.  These are connections I will be able to carry with me throughout my entire career.  From Kenya, to Australia, to Dubai and everywhere in-between, advisors came together at this conference to share their experiences, frustrations, and ideas.  Despite our differences, we realized that we really are more similar than we are different.  If we can continue to work together and collaborate on new projects from a global perspective, just imagine how successful the outcomes will be for our students and the profession!

Academic Advisors from Wisconsin at the first international NACADA Conference, University College Maastricht, Netherlands.

For more information about our presentation, #DigitalAdvising @Your School!, please visit our presentation site: digitaladvisingatyourschool.wordpress.com.