Cause for Celebration : Global Study Scholarship

May 20, 2015

Receiving a scholarship is cause for celebration, especially when it makes the difference in whether you can pursue your education in another country. Students in degree programs ranging from architecture to public health to international business recently celebrated their newfound opportunities to study in countries ranging from South Korea to England to Cuba. Each student has a unique and compelling reason for participating in their program, and they all share one thing in common: their experiences abroad will be made possible by the Global Study Scholarship offered by the office of Global Education: Study Abroad, University of Colorado Denver.

The Global Study Scholarship is awarded to students with high academic achievement who face financial constraints; the scholarship is designated for the student’s choice of a Global Study program. This year, twenty-seven students were awarded the scholarship in amounts from $500-1,000, and the Office is constantly expanding its scholarship base to provide opportunities for as many students as possible to study abroad.

For Linda Brent, who is earning her master’s at the Business School, participating in the International Development in East Africa program will be pivotal to reaching her next career endeavor of saving wildlife in developing countries. “My professional goals are to develop a project working with rural Africans to provide a livelihood which does not negatively impact the forests and its inhabitants,” said Brent. She has expansive ideas for her project, but needs on-the-ground contacts and knowledge for setting up a business in Africa.

“The program will fill an important gap in my practical experience, and allow me to use my past management experience and my Business School training to create a sustainable business opportunity,” Brent explained.

“My participation in the program will be the catalyst to launching an entirely new social venture business!”

Betty Burnett, a Public Health major, will be participating in the Intensive Study of Health Services in Cuba program. Burnett is a single mother who works full time and attends CU Denver part time. Burnett’s unique situation highlights the fact study abroad can fit into any situation or budget, even that of a nontraditional student. “My main reason for wanting to go to Cuba is to broaden my experience. I am 54 years old and have traveled very little outside of the continental United States. I am eager to experience different cultures and different ways of doing things.”

Participating in the program will also help Burnett achieve her professional goals of become an occupational therapist. The practical, real-life experiences offered by the program will add to her knowledge of the healthcare field in an important way. “The program will afford me the opportunity to look at other healthcare systems and enhance my knowledge so that I can have a broader understanding of healthcare,” Burnett explained, adding,

“I strongly believe this experience will change my life in ways I can’t yet even anticipate!”

Ashley Householter, a MA student at the Business school, was awarded the scholarship to participate in London Calling: Global Sports & Entertainment Management. One of Householter’s biggest regrets from her undergraduate years was that she did not study abroad. The London Calling will give her the real-life educational experience she missed out on before, and be a huge step toward her career aspirations. “What I hope to gain from London Calling is not a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip, but rather a

“’first-in-a-lifetime’ experience,”

said Householter. “London Calling will be a great first step toward achieving so many of my goals,” she explains.

Participating in the program will help Householter toward both her mid-range career goal of relocating to an international location of the Gates Corporation, where she is currently employed. It will also help in her long-term career goal of becoming a corporate event planner. “London Calling has a curriculum that I am certain will add to my knowledge of events in a big way.” Householter works full time in addition to taking classes and has started a side business to help finance the program. The Global Study Scholarship is lifting a significant burden for her.

Bryant Burciaga, a Business Management and Economics double major, is participating in the Window on China program this Maymester. Burciaga is a first generation college student, and has worked diligently during his college years to pay all of his own tuition and expenses. “I’ve faced many struggles in life, and studying abroad was something I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to do in my collegiate career. It was something out of reach, and not fitting into my work and school schedule.”

From a young age, Burciaga has always been fascinated with other cultures. “Gaining new perspectives and expanding my viewpoints by learning about others has been one of my goals and missions,” said Burciaga. The Window on China program will be an opportunity to discover firsthand how another culture works.

“With this opportunity to travel to a distant country, half-way across the world, I want nothing more to continue broadening my horizons,” explains Burciaga.

Each student’s reasons for studying abroad are as varied as the locations they will be traveling to, but they all share common threads: a genuine desire to experience and understand a different culture, and a desire to gain practical knowledge to add to their educational and professional endeavors. For each of these students, participating in a Global Study program will immeasurably enhance their educations at University of Colorado Denver, and the Global Study Scholarship will make these experiences possible.

SARA ANN ADKINS – INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AFRICA

I deem this study abroad experience unparalleled in my academic career, and that I am willing to take on more debt as a result of this, but that any scholarship funding that I receive would be put to good use as I work toward my professional, academic, and personal goals as a global public health professional and a citizen of the world.

In learning about the course in East Africa I have heard over and over again, “Africa will change you,” and that is truly my hope. I do not believe that I can be an effective public health professional, or a global citizen with a true sense of the world for that matter, without these kinds of immersion experiences. I intend to enter this experience as open-mindedly as I am able, and fully anticipate being uncomfortable at times, stretching my limits as they currently exist. I hope to leave this experience changed, with a new world view, an invigorated passion for health and social justice, and a fortified understanding of international public health practice.

BRYANT BURCIAGA – WINDOW ON CHINA

Bryant_Burciaga Now, with this opportunity to travel to a distant country, half-way across the world, I want nothing more to continue broadening my horizons and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Receiving financial assistance would be a tremendous help to get me closer to my hopes and dreams.

I’ve faced many struggles in life, and studying abroad was something I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to do in my collegiate career. It was something out of reach, and not fitting into my work and school schedule. However, my thirst for growth has driven me to do whatever it takes to make this a reality. Being given this opportunity I would absolutely make the most of the experience and use my encounters and experiences I get in China to serve as an inspiration for finding better ways to serve and follow my life philosophy of giving others—as its been given to me—the opportunity grow.

BETTY BURNETT – INTENSIVE STUDY OF HEALTH SERVICES IN CUBA

Betty_Burnett
I am committed to going and am willing to take out student loans or take on personal debt to participate. I am willing to do this because I strongly believe this experience will change my life in ways I can’t yet even anticipate!

ASHLEY NICOLE HOUSEHOLTER – LONDON CALLING

Ashley_Householter
Participation in the London Calling study abroad course influences my mid-range and long term career goals in two distinctly different ways. At present, I am a Pricing Analyst for the Gates Corporation, an international firm founded in Denver over 100 years ago. In July 2014, The Blackstone Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, purchased Gates. Blackstone’s many new initiatives are being implemented in the Denver office with goals to drive improved practices across the global organization in coming years. My dream within this current Gates environment is to relocate to one of our many international locations (very likely to Belgium, Germany, or Mexico) when the appropriate opportunity arises. This course will aid in providing additional international travel experience. As well, discussing the London Calling trip with my managers has been an opportunity to reiterate and illustrate commitment to my relocation goal. In addition, I hope to add a few days to the trip to visit Gates’ state-of-the-art power transmission production facilities in Dumfries, Scotland and Erembodegem, Belgium, as well as a hydraulic sales division just north of London.

In the long term, my goal is to switch careers completely and take on a position as a corporate event planner. This has been a goal of mine for many years, after having some experience with event planning in my former movie theatre management career. This long-term goal is a large part of what inspired me to come back to University of Colorado Denver to complete the MS Marketing program. In Fall 2014, I had the pleasure of working with MorEvents on a Marketing Research class project. Excitement in hearing from Betsy Mordecai and Gareth Heyman about all the many diverse events they had planned and executed all over the world confirmed that long-term goal for me once more. It’s really the concept of event planning and management that drove me specifically toward the Sports and Entertainment Management trip above all others. London Calling has a curriculum that I am certain will add to my knowledge of events in a big way!

Ultimately, what I hope to gain from London Calling is not a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip, but rather a “first-in-a-lifetime” experience. I can only begin to imagine all the amazing adventures, insights, and friendships I will gain by embarking on this trip. While no one can really say what their future holds, taking the London Calling course can only be a great first step toward achieving so many of my goals, and this scholarship would undeniably help to alleviate financial burden and make the experience all the richer.

ANDREA LYNN KELCHLIN – INTERNATIONAL URBAN DESIGN STUDIO COPENHAGEN

Studying urban design in Copenhagen will be transformative to my architectural work. Through the immersion in Copenhagen, a highly inventive global city known for pioneering holistic design practices, and this multidisciplinary design studio I seek to reinterpret and challenge my emerging architectural perspective. I’ve always found study aboard to change the context in which I view my surrounding environment and humanity, and I expect this program to be just as life-changing.

LINDA YVONNE BRENT – INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AFRICA

The Study Abroad Program will help me to embark on my next career endeavor – to save wildlife in developing countries!

My professional goals are to develop a project working with rural Africans to provide a livelihood which does not negatively impact the forests and its inhabitants (e.g., poaching, slash and burn agriculture). The proceeds of this business would be fed back into support for African conservation programs, thus providing additional benefits to people and animals. While I have many ideas for this potential business, I lack the on-the-ground contacts and knowledge about setting up an African-based business. I feel that the Uganda Study Abroad program would fill an important gap in my practical experience, and allow me to use my past management experience and my business school training to create a sustainable business opportunity.