Scholarship Testimonials

Julissa Garcia | London Spring 2023, B.S. Business Administration

"I cannot explain how amazing the Business in London trip was. I will hold the memories I made on this study abroad trip in my heart for the rest of my life. This study abroad trip gave me so much perspective of what I want to do in the future. This trip really showed me the sky is the limit when it comes to opportunities I have with my degree from Millersville University. I am so thankful I was allowed to go on this trip and I will jump at any opportunity to study abroad with Millersville University again.

I learned so much about London, marketing, finance, and international business. During the 5 hour walking tour I learned so much about London. The marketing firms allowed me to see the differences with marketing in the United States and London, and now I see marketing in a different perspective. To see how business is done internationally was the best part of the trip. I was allowed to see how business is done differently abroad."

Click here to read more about the MAPS Business in London Program.

Madison Rhode | Sweden, Estonia, & Germany Winter 2023, BSE Education

"I have always wanted to be able to travel to new places that I do not know much about. I have also always had a passion for learning. After starting college, I heard about the study abroad programs that Millersville has to offer, and I was determined to be involved. I heard about the partnership in Sweden with Internationella Engelska Skolan and decided that it was something I wanted to pursue. I gained a strong interest in seeing how the school system, structure, and curriculums differ between the schools I have worked at in Pennsylvania, and the schools we were able to visit in Sweden.

I applied for and received a scholarship through the International Programs and Services at Millersville. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that was given to me, and I feel as though my experience has greatly influenced both my knowledge as a global citizen, and my experiences as a future educator. This scholarship covered the majority of my trip cost as well as the winter course that accompanied it. I would not have otherwise been able to attend a study abroad program, so I am thankful that I received the funding.

This study abroad experience has helped me with the path that I want to take in my professional life. It has also given me the chance to be able to network and make connections in other countries. I am returning to Sweden for student teaching in fall 2023 and also possibly to work there for a period of time. Even in the United States, I will keep the experience in mind as it will help to shape my future teaching approaches."

Click here to learn more about a similar MAPS program in Sweden

Alanna Bezas |Iceland Summer 2022, B.S. Emergency Management

"I always knew I wanted to study abroad in college. I never had a particular country in mind, I just always pictured it being a main part of my college experience. Travel has taught me to be open, adventurous, flexible, welcoming, accepting, and curious. I prefer to travel ‘all-in’ exploring, and getting a taste of the locals’ life, as opposed to being a tourist in an all-inclusive resort. The exposure of traveling has given me confidence to travel on my own, as well. I have been given a taste of travel, and have now been working on crossing destinations off my own bucket list.
I was a freshman when I first saw the MAPS Iceland program. Iceland has been on my travel bucket list since I saw it on The Amazing Race at age 12. The class itself, a Perspectives course in Energy Sustainability, perfectly aligns with my minor in Sustainability Studies and fulfills my (P) requirement. I saw this as a win-win-win, and attended every informational session even though I wasn’t eligible until the end of my sophomore year. By then, I was all signed up for the trip, had paid my deposit, and was ready to go. However, COVID was still in effect and all MAPS sessions for the summer were canceled. So, this had been a long-awaited trip for me!

Because this is something I knew I wanted, the expenses were worth it. With Iceland being one of the most expensive countries to travel to, I recognized that the amount I had to pay on top of my tuition was actually the cheapest I’d get…for all of the excursions and activities we’d do abroad. I started saving up early, and applied for, and received, a study abroad scholarship to help me get there.

Being in Iceland felt like being on another planet. We traveled around the entire country in a 12-passenger van, staying in a different hostel each night. I loved this fast-paced, always-on-the-move travel, because we got to see the diversity of the country in its entirety. We saw beautiful waterfalls, mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, towns, cities, cottages, horses, puffins, and sheep. I loved exploring new areas and seeing how they compared to the last location. Similarly, the hostels differed – some allowed us to meet and share spaces with other travelers, while others were more individualized, like the cabins we rented in the countryside. In more rural areas, we cooked our dinner in the hostel, and in the towns we would go out to eat. The strangest thing I ate was Iceland’s fermented shark. Coming from a Greenland shark that can live to be 400 years old, the shark meat is actually very toxic when fresh. When fermented, it has lots of omega 3 and protein, and is a delicacy in Iceland…not exported anywhere else in the World."

Click here to learn about the MAPS Iceland program on Sustainability. 

Katie Nichols | Italy Summer 2022, B.A. Psychology

"I chose to study abroad in Florence because I initially heard good things about Italy from people, I knew who studied abroad. I also started following an Instagrammer – Kacie Rose – who was sharing lots of fun videos about Florence and about her experience there as an American who moved there a few years ago. I also applied to and received one study abroad scholarship. And I’m so grateful that I did because it allowed me to have incredible experiences while I was abroad.

One difference between my classes and my MU classes was that one of my classes at FUA (Florence University of America) had on-site learning. I really enjoyed this. Our teacher would lecture for a portion of the class and then would take us out into Florence to a site or two or three that went along with the topic we were learning about in class.One touristy thing that is absolutely worth it is going to Piazza Della Signoria. Piazza Della Signoria is a very important historical square in Florence. There, you can see the Neptune Fountain, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Logia dei Lanzi, all of which are free!

My number one piece of advice to someone who is considering studying abroad is DO IT! Put aside all of your doubts and concerns, and just do it! I personally struggled so much with the decision to study abroad. I had so many reasons in my head why it didn't make sense for me to go abroad. As a senior, with one semester left before graduation, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do post-grad. Now that I am back, I can say that I have absolutely no regrets about going abroad. It was the best decision I could have made, and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. All of my fears were proved wrong. I believe that going abroad was actually more productive than staying home and getting an internship or a job. I came back with confidence, a greater sense of self, clarity about who I am and what I want for the future, and memories that will stay with me forever. I learned so much about myself in Italy. What I gained has improved my personal life, academic life, and has given me more clarity about my professional life, which is exactly the opposite of what I thought I would gain studying abroad in Italy, taking classes unrelated to my major. I only went abroad for six weeks, yet I gained so much in those weeks, and I want everyone to experience that, because it will pay back in dividends."

Click here to view other summer study abroad program options