Last week, a 19-year-old student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison went missing after arriving to study at Rome’s John Cabot University. It was Beau Solomon’s first night studying abroad in Rome and after his roommate lost contact with him around 1 a.m. at a bar; he had figured he had just gone back to their dorm. When the roommate noticed that Solomon didn’t show for orientation the following morning, he alerted John Cabot University, which alerted Italian authorities, the U.S. Embassy and the University of Wisconsin.

Everything was done just right. The authorities started a massive search for Solomon, he was one of the major news stories on a variety of different outlets, and everyone was expressing their deep concern and hope for discovery all over social media platforms, but it was not enough. He was found Monday morning in the Tiber River, dead. The family later reportedly discovered thousands in charges to his credit card in Milan as well. So what happened? How could this child cancer survivor from a small town in Wisconsin have such a tragic ending just hours after arriving for a trip of a lifetime? As a student myself who is about to embark on a study-abroad trip, it really makes you think. Will I be safe while studying abroad or will such a horrific event happen to me?

This isn’t the first situation where a young student has been taken advantage of while studying abroad and it certainly won’t be the last. At orientation, before students even board the plane to embark on their study abroad experience, they are required to go to several orientation meetings discussing safety, homesickness and what it will be like living in another country for a semester. One would assume that these meetings would help the students come to terms with what they can expect while studying abroad and help them to strategize on how to deal with such situations if they ever do arise. So then why are students still getting hurt when they go abroad and what can we do to help them?

If anything, the death of Beau Solomon has been a grounding experience for me as it has made me realize the reality of my situation. While it can seem like a fairytale to be studying in another country for a semester, I think it’s important to remember that as visitors we are easy targets for locals to take advantage of and that we need to be constantly vigilant of not only what’s happening around us but to also be vigilant of what is happening around others in our group. I can’t imagine how Solomon’s roommate or friends must have been feeling after discovering what had happened to him. Wondering if they had watched more closely, they could have helped him. If they had only been more aware of their surroundings, maybe they could have saved him from going through such a horrific experience. They must be feeling so incredibly guilty and I can’t imagine putting myself into their shoes but that’s exactly what I must do. I think that all students who are studying abroad or are about to adopt the "that could be me" attitude.

While I’m studying abroad, I must constantly be thinking of Beau Solomon and be on the lookout so that I, or my fellow students, won’t be taken advantage of. So I won’t be another student that is a trending news title. So my parents won’t have to go through what Beau’s did and bury their son before he really gets a chance to be someone. It is tragic that such a thing happens in this day and age so I must do my part. By sticking together and looking out for one another, I think we can all ensure each other’s safety and make sure that we won’t be another number in the long list of tragic deaths that happen while studying abroad.