As the world becomes more globalized, a need for intercultural competency increases. One way young college students are introduced to other cultures is through study abroad programs, including international service-learning opportunities or enrollment into international university or college programs. This study was conducted to examine cultural competency and needs assessment skills of undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture at Purdue University through a study abroad experience in a Peruvian Andean community. The study analyzed 10 students who participated in a semester-long course focusing on international engagement that included a oneweek study abroad trip to rural Peru. Findings from this study are based on student surveys administered before, during, and after the trip and students’ written reflections. Results revealed an increase in perceived importance for cultural competence and needs assessment skills. There was also a statistically significant difference in improvement of cultural competence and needs assessment skills over time. This is confirmed by participant reflections. Experiential learning through this study abroad course positively influenced students’ cultural awareness and needs assessment skills. Limitations of this work include needing sufficient time for cultural immersion and being limited by the small size of the group. On both the undergraduate and graduate level, there is a need for promoting well-structured study abroad programs that can be easily assessed for their impacts to the beneficiaries, both locally and globally. There is also a need for comparing between students who participated in the program and those who are learning a culture and content without hands-on experience.