Murray Scholar

I will be studying in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria South Africa. I will study social and educational reform post apartheid in the higher education system of Southern Africa. I am most excited about visiting Robben Island and the new culture I will immerse myself in to bring back to GVSU and share with others.

Padnos Scholar

Hola! I am thrilled to be traveling to Bilbao, Spain this year to study Spanish and education at the University of Deusto. Bilbao is located in the center of the thriving Basque country which gives me the unique opportunity to not only be fully immersed in the Spanish language, but also experience multiple branches of the Spanish culture. This opportunity perfectly complements my passion for adventure from exploring the coast and touring the numerous historic cities throughout Spain and Southern France to sitting down for an authentic meal with my host family and navigating the Spanish education system.

Padnos Scholar 

I'll be in Tokyo studying Japanese language, music, and literature. In my "spare" time I plan on soaking in the Japanese jazz scene and connecting with friends across the country.

Padnos Scholar

I will be studying in Salaya, Thailand, at Mahidol University for the 2015-2016 school year. My academic focus will be Cambodian language and culture studies, and I hope to spend as much time in Cambodia volunteering and teaching as my schedule allows. I cannot wait to explore some of the more rural areas and to ride an elephant in the rain!

Padnos Scholar

At UDLAP, I will study Spanish linguistics while completing my Senior Project on the usages of the word güey ('dude'). I will also be involved with the on-campus Eco-Club, and hope to complete an internship with the ethnobotanical garden in Puebla.

Between November-December, I will be spending my time student teaching in a K-5 classroom in India through the COST (Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching) program. I am really excited to learn about India's rich ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity, in addition to exposing myself to a new teaching scenario!

Padnos Scholar

While traveling to the heart of the Mediterranean, Cyprus, I hope to learn as much as possible about the Cypriot lifestyle and culture. With Europe to the north, Africa to the south, and Asia to the east, I'm planning on seeing as much of the world as my wallet allows (cheap hostels anyone?). 

Padnos Scholar

I'm going to be spending the year studying political science through direct enrollment in the National University of Ireland in Galway, Ireland. I'm excited to study the relationship and history between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Island, as well as closely study the European Union. As Galway is part of the Gaeltacht and NUIG offers Gaelic language courses, I will also have the opportunity to connect deeply with my Irish heritage through learning Gaelic. This wouldn't be possible without the Padnos Scholarship!

Padnos Scholar 

The Barbara H. Padnos Scholarship will significantly help advance my academic and career goals to become fluent in Arabic and eventually work on behalf of the U.S. to address international environmental sustainability issues. While studying Arabic and Middle Eastern culture for a year in Amman, Jordan, I will be able to increase my fluency in a second language and pursue an internship with an environmental NGO.  I aspire to leave a positive mark on the world and am very grateful to the Padnos Scholarship for helping me to be able to pursue my dreams and aspirations.

Murray Scholar

My name is Sarah Young and I will be studying abroad for nine weeks during the summer season. While I am there, I will be taking 12 credit hours and exploring Chile! My goal is to improve my Spanish-speaking abilities and to learn more about the Chilean culture.

Murray Scholar

I am going to John Cabot University in Rome, Italy in Fall 2015. I am so excited to be emerged in the Italian culture and eat Italian food. I will be studying marketing and management while in Rome and this will give me international perspective on my business education. I am looking forward to meeting new people and growing as a student and person!

Murray Scholar

Guten Tag! I am headed to Dresden, Germany for the summer to study the higher education system of Germany. To supplement my learning I am taking a course on community college systems and interning as an international living center coordinator. I am most excited for the opportunity to experience the German higher education system and German culture. This trip is special for me because my ancestors came from Germany many years ago.

If you want to follow my adventure, access my website: ichbinaxdorff.tumblr.com

Padnos Scholar 

I am not only a student with a strong scholastic vision, but a young man with a dream to achieve higher in both my personal and professional life. I am an explorer and seek to find uniqueness of new places and their local cultures. This curiosity bundled with aspirations of living in Germany following my academic career prove that my experiences at Ludwig Maximilians Universität in München, Deutschland will play a critical role as a stepping stone on the journey to my future success and I look forward to the opportunity to share them upon my return to G.V.S.U. in 2016.