Imagine sitting in The Hague, watching a real trial unfold at the International Criminal Court. Or tracing the haunting footsteps of victims at Dachau, the former Nazi concentration camp in Germany. Or, on a lighter note, sipping ancient wines in Georgia, the birthplace of winemaking. These aren’t just dreams. For Stetson students, they’re lived experiences, thanks to international study made possible through prestigious scholarships and fellowships.
At Stetson, studying abroad is more than an adventure, it’s a key part of preparing students for meaningful careers and graduate study. Aligned with the university’s Hatter Ready initiative, international experiences deepen students’ academic journeys. But as Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Eskenazi, PhD, points out, “Studying abroad is one of the most important things a student can do during college, but it’s also one of the most difficult to do because it’s so expensive.”
Eskenazi oversees more than 40 scholarships and fellowships and has supported students through both competitive application processes and faculty-led programs. Through partnerships with WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning and key faculty mentors, students are achieving life-changing global experiences.
The Gilman Scholarship: Opportunity Meets Impact
Tristyn Rampersad, a Philosophy major, spent two transformative weeks in the Netherlands and Belgium, funded by the Gilman Scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 for Pell Grant recipients to study abroad. His journey began when Eskenazi visited his Honors class to discuss fellowship opportunities.
With application guidance from Paula Hentz and Melanie Smith at the WORLD office, Rampersad developed compelling essays and crafted a community service project as required by the scholarship, a social media campaign to promote the Gilman.
During the faculty-led trip, Rampersad and his peers visited the Amersfoort concentration camp, attended lectures on the evolution of psychology in Europe, and sat in on a live human rights trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. “That makes it a lot more real,” says Eskenazi.
Rosa Vega, an Entrepreneurship and Professional Sales major, also received a Gilman to study for a month at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. There, she taught entrepreneurship sessions, visited a business incubator, and toured the Dachau concentration camp. “This experience gave me new ideas for my own entrepreneurial journey,” Vega reflected.
For both Rampersad and Vega, the greatest benefit wasn’t just the travel, it was joining the global Gilman alumni network, a powerful community for career support and mentorship.
The Boren Scholarship: For Future Public Servants
Highly competitive and deeply respected, the Boren Scholarship funds the study of critical languages abroad in regions central to U.S. national security. Unlike faculty-led programs, recipients study independently, often for extended periods, and commit to one year of government service after graduation.
Heaven Lee Sullivan, a 2024 Stetson graduate in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies with a strong interest in cybersecurity, exemplifies the kind of driven, globally minded student the scholarship supports. Before applying, she spent an entire month researching countries and programs. “I wanted to study a critical language, so my options were Chinese, Arabic, or Russian,” Sullivan recalls. “And of those three, I thought Russian was the most appealing, as it is slightly easier to learn but still an incredibly difficult language.”
Sullivan received $25,000 toward her eight-month program in Georgia, a country bridging Eastern Europe and West Asia. “That’s the thing about the Boren Scholarship,” she notes. “It traditionally funds extended periods of time abroad. Students don’t usually go for just one semester, they do two semesters or a semester and a summer, which is what I did.”
Her days were filled with 20 hours of Russian language instruction per week, elective courses with lecturers from local universities, cultural programs, and field trips to neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia. She approached her studies with a multidisciplinary lens, drawing from politics, history, anthropology, and linguistics to better understand the diverse post-Soviet region. “It includes broadly about 15–20 countries… The region is so diverse that you’ll really never get bored,” she says.
Among her most vivid memories were weekends in the wine-producing region of Kakheti, where she tasted wines rooted in an 8,000-year-old tradition. Upon returning to the U.S., she even worked briefly at a local wine bar. The experience, she says, clarified her career direction: a future in the federal government, ideally working at the intersection of cybersecurity and culture. “This type of scholarship is an unparalleled opportunity. It sets you apart from the crowd,” she affirms, adding that she was accepted into several top-tier graduate programs.
Another Stetson Boren recipient, Cole Caven, class of 2026, majors in International Studies and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. He aspires to pursue a Juris Doctor and a master’s in International Affairs, aiming for a career in international law and transatlantic security policy. “I applied with the intent of becoming fluent in Russian by graduation and spending more time in the Eurasian region—the best means to understand it,” Caven says. “As someone who aspires to work in foreign policy, it is an immense aid both in improving my linguistic skill set and launching my career.”
Caven credits his award in part to the dedicated mentorship he received. “My win wouldn’t have been possible without the recommendation letters from my professors and the many hours spent revising my essay with Dr. Mayhill Fowler,” he shares.
Caven is currently in Tbilisi, Georgia, through July, participating in a program by SRAS (formerly the School of Russian and Asian Studies). His coursework includes immersive Russian classes where no English is spoken, in addition to lectures on regional security and local policy.
Taiwan Scholarships: Immersive Study, Global Careers
Stetson’s students are also making their mark in East Asia, thanks to Taiwan Scholarships. Associate Professor and Chair of History Leander Seah, PhD, has mentored several recipients, including Zoe Weaver-Lee ’19 and Mary Brandt ’23. Both studied in Taiwan and are now pursuing careers tied to national security and international relations in Washington, D.C.
“Anyone who lives, works or studies in Taiwan becomes inextricably linked with the island for the rest of their career,” Weaver-Lee shares. These scholarships, such as the Huayu Enrichment and Ministry of Education awards, offer up to $1,000 monthly and support full cultural immersion and language study, particularly in Mandarin.
Seah, who was born in Singapore and is a leading scholar in Sino-American relations, believes deeply in the power of cultural immersion: “Nothing quite beats understanding a non-Western culture by studying it in the country itself.”
Fund for Education Abroad: Around the World on Semester at Sea
Marvel Olson, a junior studying Aquatic and Marine Biology, combined her love of travel and science through Semester at Sea, with help from the Fund for Education Abroad and the Institute for Shipboard Education.
From September to January, Olson’s journey spanned the Netherlands, Morocco, Ghana, Mauritius, India, and beyond, culminating in a visit to Japan. Along the way, she studied coral reefs in Mauritius, deepening her passion for conservation and fieldwork. “This trip helped me better understand what I want to do in my future,” she says. “I want to pursue grad school in Australia.”
Supported by the WORLD office and inspired by life-changing experiences, from witnessing new ecosystems to shaving her head for Neptune Day (a seafaring tradition), Olson emerged with lifelong friendships and professional clarity.
Start Early, Tell Your Story
None of these journeys happen by chance. Scholarships like Gilman, Boren, Taiwan Awards, and the Fund for Education Abroad are fiercely competitive. That’s why Eskenazi urges students to start early, ideally in their first or second year.
“It’s all about building a narrative for yourself, who are you, what experiences do you have, and why this scholarship and study abroad opportunity are a good fit for you,” he says.
With Stetson’s strong mentorship, supportive offices like WORLD, and dedicated faculty, the path to international learning, and to a meaningful global career, is more possible than ever.
Explore more inspiring stories in the latest issue of Stetson University Magazine — read now.
