Five Lycoming College students are preparing for new adventures to study abroad with opportunities secured through the College’s Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences (CEAE). The students will all participate in semester-long programs that will enable them to take classes abroad and receive credits that will count toward their degrees, while fully immersing themselves in a new culture, both academically and professionally.
The CEAE is dedicated to helping students identify and participate in a wide range of experiences that augment their studies at Lycoming, such as internships, faculty-led research opportunities and global travel. There are a variety of funding options for Lycoming students who choose to participate in global education — whether it be a semester-long program, a summer program or a faculty-led travel course — such as Lowry Ambassador Study Abroad scholarships, national scholarships and grants, and in some cases Lycoming College financial aid for direct tuition exchange programs and faculty-led travel courses.
In the spring of 2018, for the first time, Lycoming will send an exchange student to China through a relationship with partner institution, Sias International University. Jose Acosta ’20, a business administration major from Denver, Co., will travel to Zhengzhou, China.
Jae Hoff ’18, a sociology and Spanish major from Lambertville, N.J., was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, a program open to Federal Pell Grant recipients to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. This competitive and national scholarship awarded Hoff $3,500 to travel to Cuenca, Ecuador, to complete her studies at Estudio Sampere just prior to graduating from Lycoming College. She also received the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant, a $1,000 scholarship awarded to only 25 students nationally each spring semester, as well as the Lycoming College Lowry Ambassador Study Abroad Scholarship, in the amount of $1,500.
Rebecca Forbes ’19, a quantitative economics and Spanish major with a minor in business administration from Lititz, Pa., also won a $1,000 Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant, as well as a $1,500 Lycoming College Lowry Ambassador Study Abroad Scholarship. Forbes will also study at Estudio Sampere in Cuenca, Ecuador. “I am honored to be receiving these scholarships, as they allow me to immerse myself in not only the Spanish language, but a new culture,” said Forbes. My love for travel and experiencing different cultures has been hindered in the past by my inability to pay for opportunities, and I am beyond grateful that these scholarships will allow me to take full advantage of this experience. I hope to have a stronger grasp of the Spanish language, a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity, and a more global understanding of the world we live in.”
Deisy Moncada ’19, a philosophy and religion major from Houston, Texas, was the single recipient of an $8,000 Michele Lavagnilio Charitable Scholarship, through Athena Study Abroad, which will enable her to study at the Lorenzo de’ Medici School in Florence, Italy. Moncada was also awarded a $1,500 Lycoming College Lowry Ambassador Study Abroad Scholarship. “I’ve never been to Europe, so it’s amazing that I will be able to study there for a whole semester,” said Moncada. “I will be taking courses that I would not be able to take at Lycoming like elementary Italian, and Italian culture through music. I’m looking forward to exploring Florence and trying to immerse myself into Italian culture.”
Karen Perez ’19, a film video art and commercial design major from Houston, Texas, won a Lycoming College Lowry Ambassador Study Abroad Scholarship, in the amount of $1,500. Perez will travel to Seoul, South Korea, to study at Korea University.
“Our workforce and society in general is increasingly global, making this a great time for young scholars to broaden their experiences with travel abroad,” said Allison Holladay, coordinator of study abroad and travel courses for the CEAE. “Financial support for study abroad programs at Lycoming is growing, opening up doors for many students, regardless of financial need.”