Studying abroad is among the most transformative, powerful experiences available to students. But for far too many, the logistics of obtaining a passport can become a barrier.

To remove this obstacle and make international travel more accessible to all, the UCLA International Education Office partnered with the Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE, to host a Jan. 27 “Passport Caravan” on campus. With the help of community-raised funds, the team helped dozens of students get their passports right on campus, free of charge. 

“I think every student should study abroad,” said Danielle Samek, associate director of UCLA Travel Study. “We’re really grateful to the donors and CIEE who helped us put this event together to empower students to experience the rest of the world in a way that they might not have otherwise been able.”

Over the course of the day, participating students completed and submitted passport applications with the in-person help of passport agents — and had all associated fees covered by the IEO and CIEE. Staff members were also on hand to answer questions, provide support and encouragement and distribute free passport covers, luggage tags and stickers. Funding for the event came from a UCLA crowdfunding campaign last fall, which raised $25,000 from 76 donors to help more UCLA students study abroad.

The importance of study abroad and global education

“This is an opportunity to bring the wider world to campus and to help students take a tangible step forward to seeing themselves exploring it,” said Susan Welker, custom program manager for CIEE, which has funded passports for more than 10,000 students nationwide. “It’s so important too, because studying abroad allows students to move through their lives with more confidence and a greater understanding of the world and how to impact it.”

The excitement of the student participants was palpable.

“I’m a low-income, first-generation student and this event really helped me out, because I got an internship in Japan,” said Kevin Tran, a second-year majoring in electrical engineering. “I’ve never traveled outside of America so I’m really excited to see how different everything — architecture, food, life — is in Japan.”

Getting to experience a different culture is also something Kelly Wu, a first-year majoring in political science, was looking forward to, as well as exploring a possible future career direction.

“I’m really interested in business, and London is a really big hub for that,” Wu said. “I’m really looking forward to gaining more experience there.”

For Scarlett Guzman, a second-year majoring in political science, the opportunity to study abroad in Paris and Amsterdam later this year inspired her to take this big step, especially since neither she nor her parents have ever been outside the U.S.

“I didn’t know how you even applied for a passport and I’m basically paying for all this myself, so I was grateful to get this help,” Guzman said. “Now I’m even thinking of potentially signing up for the Spain Travel Study next year, too.”

That’s a destination important to Emily Andrade, a third-year majoring in Spanish — she’s headed there herself soon.

“I’ve never been to Spain and can’t wait to explore three different major cities there,” Andrade said. “I want to thank everyone who made today possible. It’s a pretty huge thing to travel abroad and I appreciate the time and generosity that went into today.”

Ultimately helping 34 students get one step closer to achieving their study abroad dreams and broadening their horizons, UCLA’s Passport Caravan made a big impact on Bruins — and it won’t be the last time.

“Today’s event went so well that we’re hoping to be able to host it again in the future with donor support,” Samek said. “So we’d appreciate anyone who is able to contribute to help us keep this going.”

This article originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.