This summer, 19 students from the division’s programs journeyed abroad to experience other cultures, learn languages, explore world history and discover how “foreign” is a relative term. The DDEEA Global Scholars Program has helped more than 70 scholars pursue international studies since the program launched with 14 students in the summer of 2017.
Traveling abroad to taste global society is a key component of the “full Badger Experience” and one of the reasons UW-Madison is among the top campuses in the nation for international service programs like the Peace Corps.
World travel brings college studies, future careers and life itself into perspective, McGarry added. But it’s an added cost and students – especially first-generation and low-income students — need to know how to prepare and what to expect to maximize the opportunity. Nearly $200,000 in travel scholarships, which comes to nearly $75,000 per semester, have been awarded so far.
Global Scholars funding was provided by an anonymous donor who wanted to bridge the financial gap for under-represented students to hold internships and study abroad through scholarships. The predominant demographic of people who travel abroad are white females from the middle class or above, so the scholarships promote inclusion, McGarry said. Travel to more than 70 countries through more than 200 programs is available.
Working through UW-Madison’s International Academic Programs (AIP) system, Global Scholars are awarded supplemental scholarships twice a year by a committee of five DDEEA advisors and Joselyn Diaz-Valdes from the Office of Student Financial Aid. The committee, comprised of staff advisors who have experience in studying and working abroad, share knowledge on how class credits, funding, healthcare, family obligations, trip length and extent of immersion can work for Global Scholars. Scholars formulate an Independent Academic Plan (IAP) to make sure they’re earning credit toward graduation through internships, research, or hands-on community service while away.
“Travel shouldn’t be an experience that’s only for those who can pay and are comfortable,” she said. Studying abroad is a high-impact learning experience that can change the trajectory of a student’s life, resulting in higher grade point averages, accelerated rates of graduation and more enthusiasm for college studies McGarry said. It also carries weight on a resume with employers.
“Going abroad tells a potential employer ‘this is a student who comes with experience and emotional maturity,” McGarry said. “That’s a prime example of why we need this program to continue.”
Traveling abroad also builds tangible skills including flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking skills and a broader ability to communicate, McGarry said. Students learn soft skills that can only be developed by living in a society other than their own.
It took the committee a year and half to pinpoint what DDEEA students specifically need to understand and arrange in preparation for foreign travel and study. For example, students are advised on how to get a passport and if they should prepare to cope with being isolated by language, or very different cultural customs.
“We learned a lot from our first students,” she said, including perceived barriers.
“If you don’t see someone like you going abroad, it becomes less of a reality. If it isn’t something that’s been talked about, which is that case with many students, you may not think it’s feasible or something you can afford.” This year, the committee was able to almost fully fund students to study in India and Botswana, McGarry added.
Global Scholars advisors also learned how to better prepare students for the realities of studying abroad, like a different kind of home sickness than what they may experience on campus and representing the diversity among Americans.
“They have to learn how to communicate when they’re not speaking the same language. All of the ‘isms’ our students experience here still exist; in a way it’s amplified. The expectations of how other countries and cultures operate can differ from expectations. We want to, as much as we can, prepare them so they have the best experience.”
“We help to familiarize students with the process,” McGarry said. “Awareness can be a barrier for students whose families don’t travel out of the country. It is an equalizing experience. It can help them to be a full Badger.”
The Global Scholars program helps to fund short-term travel of less than a semester with options ranging from two to 12 weeks in the summer and six days to three weeks in the winter. 
Students also can opt to travel with a group or alone, spending a semester abroad, or an entire year immersed in the culture and language while living with a host family, or studying in English. There also are longer, fully-funded travel options like the Global Gateway program and prearranged classes that fulfill UW-Madison graduation requirements, like a microbiology class in Thailand or ethnic studies classes on Africans in Denmark.
“The longer a student is abroad, the better they understand that culture and the better they understand who they are in that culture,” said McGarry, who majored in Spanish and immersed herself for a semester in Murcia, Spain.
“Sometimes the only way to really get to know yourself is to have to make all of your own decisions. It was the best decision I ever made. So much of it was self-discovery and the growth of independence.”
While traveling, Global Scholars document and share their experiences on Instagram and complete projects based on their experiences. They post pictures of what they’re experiencing on their journeys through blogs, essays and more. Global Scholars must be returning students, so they can synthesize the experience with a capstone project.
Some Global Scholars have travelled more than once. “Once they go abroad once, they want to go again,” McGarry said.
Applications for the Global Scholars Scholarship for DDEEA students are due on March 1, 2020.