Pictured (from left to right); Robyn Hubbard, Sabreen Nafsu, Elizabeth Gil, Dean Donald Heller, Helena Jankowski, Todd Drummond and Elizabeth Krause. (Not pictured is Robert Aultz.)
Five College of Education students participating in study abroad programs this summer will have a portion of their costs covered thanks to a new scholarship program.
Dean Donald E. Heller recently presented the awards to the students, who were selected from a pool of nearly 30 applicants. The college is working to increase the rate of study abroad participation for its students, many of whom are deterred by the high costs of tuition and travel to other countries.
“We put together a pool of money for students who probably wouldn’t otherwise be able to engage in these powerful learning opportunities abroad,” said Heller. “We hope to repeat this every year.”
The inaugural recipients of the Dean’s Scholarship for Undergraduate Study Abroad are:
- Sabreen Nafsu, a 2014 Elementary Education graduate, beginning her teaching internship in Detroit this fall. She is participating in Cross-Cultural Teaching Abroad in South Africa.
- Helena Jankowski, a Special Education junior and member of the Urban Educators Cohort Program. She is participating in Education, Society and Learning in South Africa.
- Robyn Hubbard, a senior in Elementary Education and the Urban Educators Cohort Program graduating this spring. She is participating in Education, Society and Learning in South Africa.
- Robert Aultz, a senior, English secondary education major. He is participating in A Day in the Life of Japan: Education, Popular Culture and Society.
- Elizabeth Krause, a secondary education senior with a focus in English and a minor in history. She is participating in Education, Society and Learning in South Africa.
Each of them will be asked to share and reflect on their experiences once they return.
“It will probably reshape my view of the classroom, but I also know there are universal challenges in education that can be seen around the world,” said Jankowski, who is relieved that she will no longer need to rely entirely on loans to pay for her month-long trip. “I am very thankful for this scholarship.”
The scholarship program is coordinated by the college’s Office of International Studies in Education, with leadership from Acting Director Todd Drummond and graduate assistant Elizabeth Gil, a doctoral student in K-12 Educational Administration.
Learn more about study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students in the College of Education.