WKU News

Theresa Thomas (MHC ‘21), sophomore scholar from Louisville, Kentucky, majoring in marketing with a data analytics certificate, is actively planning her study abroad trip to the University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland. She is a few months away from beginning this next step of her WKU experience, made possible by the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which broadens the student population that studies or interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. Theresa is one of the twenty-two students selected for this award in the Fall 2023 cycle.

Although Theresa had concerns about completing a study abroad experience on account of the costs involved, she credited the encouragement she received from Lindsey Houchin of the Office of Scholar Development (OSD) to lean on OSD’s guidance and to pursue this opportunity. Theresa shared that, “I went to H4 [Honors first-year orientation retreat], and that’s where I first heard about study abroad from Lindsey, and overtime, I kept seeing it, hearing about it, and I was thinking about studying abroad, but it’s expensive, so she [Lindsey Houchin] encourage me to fill out the application for the Gilman and she helped me, and that’s what drew me in is that she would help me, and guide me through the application process.”

As Theresa began her partnership with OSD, she reflected that she was in a unique space as a young woman of color planning to study abroad because not many students of color consider study abroad as a viable opportunity during their collegiate experience, sharing that for many of her peers, “going out of the country and the financial costs” were major barriers to even approaching an office like OSD or WKU Global to do an exploratory conversation.

With her upcoming journey in Fall 2024, Theresa’s hopes to empower other minority students to “reach out and ask for help and that you don’t have to be afraid to study abroad as a minority student.” Although Theresa shared that she certainly experienced nervousness about her upcoming experience—especially because she had never previously left the country—she relied on her faith and on her family to lend her strength, explaining that “leaning on my faith motivated me and I chose not to let fear dictate my choices.”

When she began the Gilman application, she dedicated any open period toward its completion, describing how she “just made time – if I had a break during the day, I would work on the scholarship; if it was like late at night and I was still up just doing nothing, I was working on the scholarship; on the weekend, I was working on what I could and doing my research on Scotland and looking at study abroad related things.”

Theresa had enthusiastic support from her family to pursue this application. Her father had served in the armed forces for eight years and was stationed in various parts of the world, and while her mother was concerned about her being alone in a new country, both wholeheartedly encouraged her to pursue this goal. Theresa selected the University of Stirling in Scotland because it had a great reputation as an inclusive and safe campus for minority students and because it is also an English-speaking institution. She also prefers cold weather climates.

For her first experience traveling internationally, University of Stirling provides a great combination of something familiar and something new. Much like her decision to attend WKU was motivated by “getting myself out there and experience[ing] different things” she approached her program selection with the same hope and openness to experiences, explaining that “it’s ok to have doubts, but don’t let those doubts block you from your blessings, so, take the first step and just go for it.”

Upon her return to campus, Theresa is excited to mentor other minority peers either through her involvement with ISEC or as a future peer mentor in the Mahurin Honors College, who are interested in international experiences, stating that she would “like to encourage others to study abroad by teaching them of the resources available to them including scholarships and support from offices like OSD and WKU Global.” She also hopes that this trip is one of many to come and looks forward to catching up with her family at the end of her abroad experience with a family meet-up in Barcelona, Spain.

In the meantime, she is coming up with communication schedules and routines for her family and friends who now must contend with a six-hour time difference while also planning travel excursions of her own in Scotland. While everything seems to be taking off at once, Theresa is calm about the process and is empowered by the opportunity before her to “get herself out there and experience new people, places, activities, and food.”

We are so excited for Theresa and look forward to catching up with her upon her return from Scotland!