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Tafari D\u2019Aguilar, a mechanical engineering student and Presidential Scholar, visited the Pantheon in Rome, Italy during his study abroad experience as a first-generation student. (Tafari D\u2019Aguilar)\t\t<\/p>\n\t\tTafari D\u2019Aguilar, a mechanical engineering student and Presidential Scholar, visited the Pantheon in Rome, Italy during his study abroad experience as a first-generation student. (Tafari D\u2019Aguilar)\t\t<\/p>\n
Florida State University is ramping up its efforts to help first-generation college students participate in study abroad programs, offering new resources and targeted support. These initiatives coincide with the university\u2019s annual Celebration of International Education and its participation in the national First-Generation College Celebration Nov. 5-12.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A centerpiece of this expansion is the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement\u2019s (CARE) new Global Learning Community<\/a>, a cohort-based program launching in Summer 2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Led by instructional specialist Emily Leyava, the program will send 10 CARE students to South Africa for eight weeks of internships, Zulu language classes and cultural immersion. The initiative is designed to lower barriers for first-generation students, who often face financial and informational hurdles when considering international experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe will be working with financial aid to see what opportunities are available to our students, including experiential learning grants and private donations,\u201d said Leyava, who will accompany the group as faculty leader. \u201cWe don\u2019t want cost to be prohibitive.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The program includes a preparatory spring course on global citizenship and international higher education, followed by an immersive summer experience. Students will be matched with internships in sectors like public health, community development and education, and will participate in weekly debriefs, reflective journaling and excursions outside of their home base in the coastal city of Durban.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want our students graduating, going into the job market, going to grad school, whatever they want to do,\u201d Leyava said.\u202f\u201cWe want to offer them every opportunity possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Global Learning Community is coordinated with and supported by FSU <\/a>International Programs, which operates three study centers in London, Valencia and Florence, a regional branch campus in the Republic of Panama, and faculty-led programs in places such as Croatia, Costa Rica, France, Switzerland, and more.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand the importance of providing intentional and creative ways to support first-gen students who wish to have an international experience,\u201d said Interim Director of International Programs Louisa Blenman. \u201cWe are so pleased that our first partnership with CARE helps us diversify the locations offered by International Programs. Further, this partnership is a vivid demonstration of a transformative program coming to fruition through collaborations among several divisions of the university.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Funding opportunities such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship<\/a>, the Tyler Center for Global Studies Fellowship<\/a>,\u00a0 FSU International Programs scholarships and other resources both across FSU\u2019s campus and externally can help first-generation students defray costs associated with studying abroad.<\/p>\n Yasmeen Masanti, a senior dance student, studied in Paris through FSU\u2019s Dance in Paris summer program, a four-week immersive experience for dance majors. She said scholarships, including a Gilman Scholarship, made her trip possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHaving the opportunity to dance in Paris and seeing the French culture was a completely different experience than I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Masanti spent her time taking dance and film classes, exploring the city, attending performances and living at Cit\u00e9 Universitaire, a student housing complex bustling with international students.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI went to the Eiffel Tower quite a lot because as a kid, I always dreamed about seeing the Eiffel Tower,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was just so magical.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Masanti credits the CARE Summer Bridge Program for helping her adjust to college and find a community. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I would have still been at FSU if I hadn\u2019t been in the CARE program,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tafari D\u2019Aguilar, a mechanical engineering student and Presidential Scholar, attended John Cabot University in Rome through FSU\u2019s Global Exchange Programs<\/a>, partially funded by the Gilman Scholarship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBefore FSU, I didn\u2019t know what studying abroad meant. I couldn\u2019t imagine affording it,\u201d D\u2019Aguilar said. \u201cIt was a culture shock at first. It was my first time out of the country, and I was alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But he quickly settled in, befriending his roommates and balancing rigorous engineering courses with adventures across the city and broader Italy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe walked cobblestone roads, ate local food and traveled,\u201d D\u2019Aguilar said. \u201cWe visited the Pantheon, Vatican City and Milan. One highlight: I canoed in a volcanic crater. It was incredible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The experience, he said, was empowering: \u201cBefore, I feared traveling alone, but now I know I can handle it. Once you know you can handle it, there\u2019s no stopping you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n FSU\u2019s Celebration of International Education<\/a> runs through Dec. 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eiffel-Tower-341x512.jpg\")
Yasmeen Masanti visits the Eiffle Tower, a childhood dream of hers, during her study abroad experience as a first-generation student. (Yasmeen Masanti)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_2546-384x512.jpg\")
Tafari D\u2019Aguilar visits the Royal Palace of Castera in Castera, Italy during his study abroad experience as a first-generation student. (Tafari D\u2019Aguilar)<\/p>\n