Oct. 22 — Nearly 250 Troy University students took to the skies and traveled to 15 different countries during the 2021-2022 academic year following the resurgence of study abroad opportunities, thanks in large part to the Chancellor’s Global Competitiveness Award.
The Chancellor’s Award aims to encourage international awareness and better assimilation of Troy University students into the workplace around the world, while providing financial assistance to make this goal a reality.
Study Abroad Coordinator Sarah McKenzie said the scholarship has grown in recent years from $500, to $750, to $1,000, to the current offering of $1,250.
“It has grown because it is an important initiative for the chancellor,” she said. “He and his administration want to make it as easy as possible and incentivize students to go.
“On average, most of our trips cost around $3,000, so $1,250 is a third of that cost. It still sounds like a lot, but no one is going to give you that opportunity at that price once you leave Troy. Chancellor Hawkins wants everyone to have the opportunity to go if they want to.”
CAGC is open to all Troy students, both undergraduate, graduate and online, who have successfully completed a full semester at Troy, are enrolled full-time, are in good academic standing, have a minimum overall GPA of 2, 5 and graduated from TroyAbroad. application, which includes the CAGC forms.
“It’s not competitive except for those criteria, so if you meet the requirements and apply, you get the award,” McKenzie said.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, 245 students took advantage of the 14 faculty-led field trips to 15 different locations. Of the 245 students who traveled, four participated in three-week summer programs, while five opted for a semester-long exchange. The Troy men’s basketball team also traveled to Costa Rica for eight days and competed against the El Salvador national team and the Costa Rica All-Stars, in addition to many team bonding activities and hosting basketball clinics for children.
Other travel locations included Puerto Rico, Italy, Ecuador, Switzerland, France, London, Galapagos, Greece, United Kingdom, Ireland, Peru, Paris, Pietrasanta and the Digging Vada archaeological site in Tuscany.
Associate Professor of History Jay Valentine took a group of 30 Troy students and 10 adults to Paris in June. The associate class, philosophy of art, focused on aesthetics and art theory.
In addition to exploring the Louvre, countless other art museums and the city’s streets, Valentine said his group immersed themselves in as much culture as possible while battling record temperatures.
Alaina Burnham, a global business major with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Madison, Ala., traveled to Ecuador in April and Peru in May. The trip to Ecuador, through the Sorrell College of Business, Sorrell Society of Global Scholars, focused on working in micro-industry factories.
Burnham worked at both a chocolate factory and a fruit drying factory over a period of five days.
Apart from experiencing factory work, the group toured the capital, visited the equator and received top-notch treatment from their hostel owner.
“The owner actually cooked us breakfast and dinner every day, so we were able to have even more authentic food because it was cooked by a local,” Burnham said. “He cooked us more American cuisine once or twice, which was quite fun.”
Regardless of age, Burnham encouraged all students who are able to travel abroad to take the plunge and do so.
“Even if you’re young, you can study abroad,” she said. “Studying abroad really opened my eyes and helped me realize that even though we are people from different places, we are all one. We all come from families and have traditions and that there is beauty in everything.”
McKenzie offered another reason for students to consider studying abroad: making your resume stand out.
“Even if it’s just two weeks, students put that on their resumes or cover letters, and it actually increases their chances of getting a job after graduation faster or getting into the grad school of her choice,” she said. she said. “Employers are looking for that. A high GPA and a degree are no longer enough. You have to have something that sets you apart. It doesn’t have to be study abroad, but studying abroad is a great choice that will give you a great experience. “
For more information about Troy’s study abroad programs, contact McKenzie at [email protected] or call (334) 808-6128.
