Studying abroad is more than just hitting academic goals—it's about living the experience. In this personal reflection, Elizabeth Von Loh shares how everyday moments during a study abroad program in Ireland became rich story material, from walking the streets of Dublin at dawn to witnessing local traditions.

"As a first-generation student, studying abroad made me realize the importance of global experiences and my education."

"My advice is to ask as many questions as possible to all of the resources that you have available and go for it. I applied for every scholarship I could and once that was figured out, I went with an open mind that change is good, and I needed to give it a chance."

"There is no doubt in my mind I have grown tremendously as an individual over this past semester. No matter how hard I try, words cannot illustrate the importance."

"Studying abroad allowed me to experience my identity in a new and exciting way. As a Black African American man who has grown up in predominantly white towns, I was intrigued to see what it would be like where the majority is African."

"Reflecting on my time in Valladolid, I can confidently say that I have changed significantly as a person. The experiences I had during these six weeks will forever stay with me as I begin my last year of undergrad."

"At first, I felt like an outsider but overtime I learned to accept that it is okay to feel like that and to keep in mind the reason why I decided to go there: I wanted to learn about other cultures and experience life outside the United States."

The Stanley Undergraduate and Graduate Awards for International Research are given annually to outstanding University of Iowa students for the pursuit of research and learning activities outside of the United States.

Learn how you can receive up to $30,000 for international research or study abroad while studying a critical language like Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, or Swahili.

Are you a student interested in a summer language program abroad, all expenses paid? Join International Programs for two virtual events to discuss strategies for putting together a successful Critical Language Scholarship application.

"Traveling has always been a dream of mine, but my family and I didn’t always have the resources to do so. That's why I am incredibly grateful for the Global Access Ambassador Scholarship, which allowed me to go abroad for the first time in my life."

"One of the things I enjoyed most about my time in Barcelona was how truly lively the people were. Everywhere you walked there was music playing, people singing and dancing."