Troy University students travel to 15 study-abroad countries

Nearly 250 Troy University students took to the skies and traveled to 15 different countries during the 2021-2022 academic year after the resurgence of study abroad opportunities, thanks in large part to the Chancellor’s Award for Global Competitiveness.

The Chancellor’s Award aims to foster international awareness and better assimilation of Troy University students in the worldwide work place while providing the financial assistance to make that goal a reality.

Study Abroad Coordinator Sarah McKenzie said the scholarship has grown over the last few years from $500, to $750, to $1,000 to the current $1,250 offering.

“It increased because it’s an important initiative to 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 knocks off 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.”

The CAGC is open to all Troy students, both undergraduate, graduate and online, who have successfully completed one full semester at Troy are have registered full-time, are in good academic standing, possess a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and have completed the TroyAbroad application, which includes the CAGC forms.

“It’s non-competitive except for those criteria, so if you meet the requirements and apply, you get the award,” McKenzie said.

Over the 2021-2022 academic year, 245 students took advantage of the 14 faculty-led 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 kids’ basketball clinics.

Additional travel spots included Puerto Rico, Italy, Ecuador, Switzerland, France, London, the Galapagos, Greece, the 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 associated class, philosophy of art, focused on art aesthetics and art theory.

In addition to exploring the Louvre, countless other art museums and the city streets, Valentine said his group immersed themselves in the culture as much as possible while also battling record-setting temperatures.

Alaina Burnham, a sophomore 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 five-day period.

Outside of experiencing factory work, the group also toured the capital, visited the equator and received top-notch treatment from the owner of their hostel.

“The owner actually cooked us our breakfast and dinner meals every day, so we were able to have even more authentic food since it was cooked by a local,” Burnham said. “She did cook us more American cuisine once or twice, which was pretty fun.”

No matter the age, Burnham encouraged all students who are able to travel abroad to take the plunge and go for it.

“Even if you’re young, you can still study abroad,” she said. “Studying abroad really opened my eyes and helped me realize that even though we’re people from different places, we’re all one. We all come from families and have traditions and that there’s beauty in everything.”

McKenzie offered another reason for students to consider studying abroad: making your resume stand out.

“Even if they only go for two weeks, students put that on their resume or in their cover letters, and it really does increase their chance of getting a job post-graduation faster or getting into their grad school of choice,” she said. “Employers are looking for that. A high GPA and a degree aren’t enough anymore. You have to have something that sets you apart. It doesn’t have to be study abroad, but study abroad is a great choice that’ll give you a great experience.”

For more information on Troy’s study abroad programs, contact McKenzie at [email protected] or call (334) 808-6128.

Special Photo: Troy University