News from The Mahurin Honors College

Nicholas Barth (MHC ‘22) currently serves as a WKU Global advisor, specifically working with students exploring abroad programs in Europe, Oceania, Semester at Sea, and International Student Teaching. Nick was originally drawn to study abroad in high school, when he was given the opportunity to spend a fully funded year in Germany his senior year.

Coming into WKU as a German and Psychology double major, Nick already had extensive German knowledge. When given the opportunity to go to Germany again, he jumped at the chance. He participated in the USAC Luneburg, a program just outside Hamburg for students interested specifically in German language and European studies, with some funding from an Honors Travel Abroad Grant (HTAG), and was able to deepen his German language knowledge and learn about the culture in Germany.

Studying abroad gives students many opportunities that staying in Bowling Green may not allow. Nick stated that he learned “...genuinely how the world works. I think if you stay in Bowling Green and WKU, we have very much of an American lens and once you get out of that American lens, and you look at how the rest of the world views, how we do things both positively and negatively, I think it allows a really good opportunity to reflect on personal values and how you think about things…I just think it's just the overall expansion of a worldview. ” He knew after completing his study abroad program that he wanted to get more involved with WKU Global, so as an undergraduate student he became a Global Learning Ambassador.

Although studying abroad may seem expensive, it may be the best time for scholars to travel because of the variety of scholarships available. In the MHC, students who elect to study abroad can qualify for funding with the Honors Travel Abroad Grant. MHC scholars who are Pell-grant eligible can receive mentoring from the Office of Scholar Development to apply for the Gilman Scholarship, a nationally competitive award intended to increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds studying abroad, who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. These funding opportunities can be further supplemented by scholarships made available by WKU. “We get that misconception a lot that it's too expensive, but my recommendation is just come in and talk to us…My goal is that students don't have to take out loans for study abroad and we go and try to get as many scholarships as we can.”

The first step a scholar should take if they want to study abroad is to visit the Global Learning Ambassadors - who are study abroad alumni or current international students that can kick start the preparation for studying abroad by walking through program options and sharing their experiences. Once a scholar has decided where they want to go, the WKU Global office is there to support them throughout the entire process, from applying to scholarships to orientations, and even events for study abroad alumni once they are back in Bowling Green.

Honors scholars are eligible to receive honors credit while abroad, so talk to your advisor today if you are interested in studying abroad!