Study abroad scholarships are crucial for enabling access to international education, fostering cultural exchange, promoting global understanding, and empowering students to pursue enriching experiences beyond their home countries.

With support from the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, the Global Access Ambassador Scholarship program provides up to 10, $1,000 Global Access Ambassador Scholarships for the spring and fall semesters or academic year, and up to 10 scholarships for the summer and winter sessions.

The scholarship is intended to support students who study abroad with the intent to serve as Global Access Ambassadors upon their return to the UI campus, with special consideration given to students with a history of overcoming adversity to pursue personal, academic, or professional goals.

Anna O’Connor, a second-year majoring in international studies and social work with a Spanish minor from Dubuque, Iowa, is studying this spring on the SIT Argentina Social Movements and Human Rights program.

“I am most excited about learning about Argentinian culture through music and dance! I picked my program, SIT Social Movements and Human Rights, due to the focused structure of the program surrounding my interests in human rights and social justice. I want to advance my Spanish abilities through the Spanish immersion classes as well as by interacting with locals and my host family. This program will help to expand my knowledge in my majors of international studies and social work while advancing my interests in political science. Studying abroad is important to me to understand that my singular perspective is not all-encompassing. There is so much to learn from the world and its cultures, and listening is key.”