[originaltext] When Ashley Blackmon sat down for her job interview for a mar

When Ashley Blackmon sat down for her job interview for a marketing position in New York City, she didn’t start off by talking about the business classes she had taken in college or her experience working at a financial services company. Instead, she talked about the five months she spent studying and traveling in Spain.
    "When I left the interview, I felt amazing," said Blackmon, 24, who studied at ESEI International Business School in Barcelona the year before she graduated Clark Atlanta University. She landed that marketing analyst job at a large food and beverage company and believes her study-abroad experience was the thing that set her apart. "I learned how to be a better businesswoman, critical thinker and relationship builder in a new culture," she said.
    Studying abroad isn’t a common experience for most U.S. college students. In fact, only 1% of students manage to study abroad. Finances, time constraints and safety are some of the challenges U.S. students face when deciding to spend a semester or two overseas. But traveling around the world during or after college could give recent graduates an edge in the job market, which continues to be one of the toughest on record for 20-somethings.
    The potential benefits are prompting new study-abroad initiatives in the States. Organizations such as the Institute of International Education have launched programs such as Generation Study Abroad in hopes of doubling the number of U.S. students who travel internationally.
16. What makes Ashley Blackmon stand out during the job interview?
17. What did Ashley Blackmon think of her overseas study experience?
18. What restricts U.S. students from spending a semester or two overseas?