When are YOU going to participate in education abroad? Did you know you can study, research, intern or participate in service learning abroad? Hundreds of UNL students participate each year and you can do it too! There are even students who go abroad more than once!
Daniel Rico, a sophomore William H. Thompson student and Biological Systems Engineering major, is one such student who was lucky enough to get this chance. Rico was awarded with several scholarships this past summer, allowing him to participate in TWO separate education abroad programs. Rico first traveled to Japan on a faculty-led program, and then to Costa Rica on a program co-sponsored by Duke University and the Organization for Tropical Studies, largely thanks to the Benjamin A. Gilman International and Susan Thompson Buffet scholarships Rico received.
The Gilman scholarship is a nationally competitive scholarship awarded to students who are Pell Grant eligible and who are participating in study abroad programs running 4 weeks or longer. The amount of scholarship money received is based on the length of the study abroad program. For summer programs students can receive as much as $3,000, and more still for semester and year-long programs, greatly offsetting the cost of education abroad programs and helping students such as Daniel make two study abroad programs a financial reality. Students are typically able to use their Susan Buffet scholarship for study abroad too. Students should check with the Education Abroad Office to verify their scholarship will apply to their program(s) of choice.
Rico first became interested in studying abroad when he saw Education Abroad presentations in his Biology and World Religion courses. His major and academic goals influenced him as well. Rico plans to attend graduate school in the future, and is very interested in conducting research within his field. He knew that an Education Abroad experience would set him apart on a graduate school application and allow him to conduct research and gain new perspectives valuable to future research while abroad.
When asked about his education abroad experiences, Rico had many positive things to say. Through his education abroad programs, Rico was able to satisfy many of his academic as well as personal goals. Rico was prompted to travel to Japan through his studies in his World Religions course. He aspired to learn more about his own faith, and that of others. While in Japan Rico studied Japanese religion and popular culture, and was able to stay in several Buddhist temples and participate in Japanese religious practices. Rico said that this experience was very personal and eye-opening for him. Rico traveled to Japan with two UNL faculty members and a group of UNL students.
As for Costa Rica, Rico spoke to a challenging academic and research-oriented experience. While in Costa Rica, Rico was able to begin conducting his own research. Though it’s still early in his academic career, his research in tropical biology and ecology may be published in a scientific journal later this year thanks to his study abroad experience. UNL joined the Organization for Tropical Studies, a consortium organized through Duke University, to provide students research opportunities in Costa Rica and South Africa. Rico traveled independently to Costa Rica and joined a group of students from other U.S. universities.
When asked about his future career goals, Rico stated that he wants to help people, and to change the world. He believes that these education abroad experiences will help him do just that, by teaching him to make better decisions that take into account many different perspectives, which he has gained through his travels. “To change the world, you have to know the world”, he said.
Interested in Education Abroad? You are invited to attend the Education Abroad Fair on September 24, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside on the Plaza of the Nebraska Union. You can spend as much time as you want walking through and learning about different opportunities. You are also welcome to attend a GO Session! GO Sessions are informational, how to get started sessions available on a walk-in basis every week class is in session: Tuesdays at 3 p.m., Wednesdays at 9 a.m., and Thursdays at noon.
--Haley French-Sloan, Education Abroad
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/ycv