Bruins Abroad: How scholarships and flexible programs make international learning accessible

A world of opportunity

Travel Study combines classroom learning with on-the-ground experiences through three-to-five-week summer programs led by UCLA faculty from across disciplines.

Audrey Ohwobete, a second-year sociology major pursuing a digital humanities minor, spent her summer in London studying management, marketing and entertainment in a course led by Sanjay Sood, professor of marketing at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

“My initial interest was in marketing. I switched to sociology because I loved learning about people,” Ohwobete said. “This course had the perfect lens for me to learn more about marketing and get some hands-on experience. Getting a better understanding of how marketing works and how analytics and data feed into the way things are presented to consumers was fascinating.”

Kailani Kainoa-Rivas, a pre-global studies major and Latin American studies minor, studied abroad in The Hague, Netherlands. She noted that working alongside students with similar career goals, learning from her professor’s international law experience and stepping into global institutions brought everything into focus.

“Visiting places like the International Court of Justice and the Peace Palace allowed me to imagine my own future in those spaces, working in positions where I can make a meaningful impact,” Kainoa-Rivas said.

And importantly, the experience taught her how to be independent.

“Traveling, connecting with new people and navigating a new country pushed me to grow,” she said. “[My time] in The Hague gave me confidence, clarity and a deeper sense of purpose moving forward.”

Students looking to immerse themselves even more deeply in the local culture can consider the Global Internship Program, which pairs Bruins with international organizations for eight-week internships, giving them a chance to gain professional work experience while exploring new cultures. Available programs span fields including public policy, media and business.

Aghigh Banitaba, a fourth-year majoring in human biology and society, studied abroad in Dublin through the Global Internship Program, hoping an internship at Cancer Trials Ireland would provide insight into potential career pathways.

“Before I went abroad, I had interned at a clinical research lab, but I had never seen behind the scenes of setting up a study with a sponsor and all the administrative work that goes into it,” Banitaba said. “[The internship] really gave me a new perspective into cancer research and solidified my interest in working as a clinical research assistant after graduating.”

Building a global mindset

While study abroad can be a life-changing experience, cost presents a barrier for many students. Scholarships such as the IEO Travel Study Scholarship and the Global Internship Grant help make international experiences possible for all students, regardless of financial background.

“Apply to everything,” said Ohwobete, whose study abroad experience was funded in-part by scholarships. “Cast a wide net because you never know what you’re going to land.”

For other students, the academic rigor and demands of their major can make it feel like study abroad isn’t an option for them.

“I’ve heard from a lot of other pre-med students that studying abroad isn’t that feasible because of the heavy course load. But it definitely is feasible and I would highly encourage it,” Carrillo Andrade said. “In the medical field, it’s really important for us to have that global mindset in regards to analyzing how these social determinants of health affect everyone’s health, not just in the United States, but in every country.”

The study abroad impact doesn’t end when students arrive back on campus. Students carry the lessons learned well into their professional careers. UCLA alumnus Judson Aiken studied abroad three times in Europe and China as an undergraduate pursuing a degree in business economics with a political science minor.

Aiken embarked on his first Travel Study experience after his freshmen year, enrolling in European Politics with Professor Mike Lofchie, which took him through London, Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris. It was his first time out of the country and the experience taught him about so much more than just politics. It taught him how to travel.

“It was transformative,” he said. “It gave me the travel bug and broke down a bunch of barriers for me and taught me that international travel is something that’s attainable and something I can go after.”

Even now, Aiken credits the program with helping him build the confidence to take risks in his professional life. While working for Ernst & Young, he applied to their Global New Horizons Program, where he spent four months working in the Philippines.

He now works as the head of risk solutions at AuditBoard, a cloud-based AI platform that streamlines risk, audit, and compliance management, where he has played a major role in the company’s European expansion, establishing offices in both the United Kingdom and Germany.

Not only has Aiken experienced the transformative benefits of travel firsthand, he’s seen how travel can open up new outlooks and perspectives for his travel companions. That’s why Aiken is passionate about contributing to scholarships that fund study abroad experiences for UCLA students.

“I’ve traveled with a lot of people who had never been abroad before,” Aiken said. “Watching them get to experience it and see everything they brought home with them, it’s awesome to watch. Obviously, there is a financial barrier to getting that opportunity. And if I can pass that on to a fellow Bruin, then that is important to me.”

This article originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.