Last May, I turned in my final papers and moved my entire life and all of its contents from my tiny dorm room into three cardboard boxes, two large trash bags, and one cramped, stuffy Nissan.
I said a teary-eyed goodbye to the best roommates I’ve ever had, checked out of Salley hall, and hit the road toward South Florida for my first (and last) summer at home.
I was excited to have an entire summer to reflect on my first year of college, but little did I know that although going home for a few weekends during the semester had been relaxing, being there for an entire summer was…well, boring as hell.
This May, I’ll be getting on a plane solo and flying to Morocco, Africa to work at the Moroccan Center for Arabic Studies as a journalism intern. Sounds a lot better than going home and watching grass grow for three months, right?
Let me rewind a few months to August 2014. Around this time, I started looking into opportunities to study abroad with International Programs, but was really disappointed when I came to the reality of the situation: I couldn’t afford to study abroad.
That’s when I heard about Global Scholars from one of my best friends who had just returned from a summer abroad in Ghana.
Global Scholars is the best (and better, but I’m biased) alternative to studying abroad. More than just offering a fun experience abroad, this program helps students find summer internships that can count for college credit at nonprofit organizations in developing countries. OH, and it’s much more affordable, which put a smile on not only my face, but my parents’ too!
Global Scholars must enroll in an International Relations course for the spring semester before the summer during their internship. In this course, students learn about the importance of having an open mind and a critical consciousness when they are volunteering abroad.
During the course of the spring semester, interns choose a concentration: Global Health, Education and Social Change, Environmental Justice, or Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
These concentrations will guide students to the internship that is best suited for them. Global Scholars offers students the once in a lifetime chance to pursue their dreams of studying abroad, all while giving them the opportunity to serve those in need.
The list of internships offered through Global Scholars is literally endless, so there is something for everyone. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t afford studying abroad through the traditional International Programs, because here at Florida State, there’s always more than one opportunity to enrich your studies!
For more information on Global Scholars, visit their website! The application process starts in the fall, so take this summer to weigh your options, start fundraising, and sweet talk your mom into letting you fly across the world alone for 2 months. Trust me, that’ll be the hardest part of it all!