As English majors, I know a lot of us Sigma Tau Deltans love (and sometimes obsessively need) to be in the know, and to always be as prepared as possible. We love our planners and checking every box on our lists. This past semester, however, this English major was put to the test.
My name is Madison Flynn, I am a rising senior at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and I had the privilege of spending last semester abroad in London, England. I completed this semester through The Foundation of International Education at the Imperial College London. It’s still very hard to believe that the semester even happened, that I was really living in one of the most exciting cities in the whole world for four months. The whole experience was very surreal—my flat was a five-minute walk from Hyde Park and Kensington Palace. I would hop on the tube every day and explore a new part of London, or hop on an iconic red bus to go visit a new market or restaurant, or just walk down the block until I found a new coffee spot. I owe a lot of my experience to the Sigma Tau Delta Study Abroad Scholarship, which fueled my dream and gave me these amazing opportunities.
It took a lot of preparation to get to London, and I am very blessed that I had Sigma Tau Delta and the TCNJ English Department backing me up and helping me plan. Once I touched down in London, however, a lot of that plan went out the window. I instantly realized that my phone’s service plan wasn’t working (thanks, Verizon), and my phone was essentially useless. Almost immediately, I was thrown into a situation that I had not planned for. I had to navigate Heathrow Airport alone, with two overly stuffed suitcases and a dream. As college students, we are drilled every day to always be the most prepared that we can be—we study, we do class readings (most of the time), we balance club meetings and social lives—we basically live by the planner. My study abroad experience showed me that there are some things you can’t fully be prepared for—and that’s okay. The not knowing is part of the journey.
As a student, I often feel a lot of shame when I don’t know the answer to something, and sometimes even feel nervous to ask for help. When I was abroad, there was no room for that shame. I was thrown into a completely different world, where I really didn’t know anything. Every other weekend I traveled to a new country on a complete whim—Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain—and learned their culture as I went. I quickly realized there is beauty in not knowing, there is excitement in being unsure. I learned there is nothing wrong with not knowing—embrace it, roll up your sleeves, be ready and open to learning and having new experiences. There is no shame in it.
I intend to bring this lesson with me into every aspect of my life. Although I have learned so much at TCNJ and feel prepared to go into the work force in a year or so, I have accepted that I probably won’t be prepared for everything the world could possibly throw at me—and that is more than okay. I have learned to be excited about the not knowing, adopting a new attitude toward the excitement of being new at something.
Madison Flynn
Long-Term Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, Fall 2023
Alpha Epsilon Alpha Chapter
The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
Study Abroad Scholarships
The scholarship provides funding for the purpose of studying in a program that furthers the applicant’s engagement with Sigma Tau Delta’s mission. Students may apply for either a Long-Term or Short-Term scholarship. Applicants should demonstrate academic scholarship and chapter service; they also must explain the relevance of their study abroad program and activities to fostering the discipline of English, including literature, language, writing, or literacy.
Long-Term Study Abroad Scholarship
The Long-Term Study Abroad Scholarship provides up to $3,000 for students studying for a full academic term or year in a certified, undergraduate program outside the country in which the nominating chapter is located.
Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship
The Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship provides up to $1,500 to support participation in an undergraduate study-abroad program of less than an academic term. The program must be a certified, undergraduate program outside the country in which the nominating chapter is located.
Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
- General Eligibility Criteria
- Currently an undergraduate student
- Scholarship recipients will be required to provide verification that they have arrived on-site (an official letter from the resident director of the program is acceptable for this purpose) before funds are released.
All applications will be submitted via the AwardSpring Online submission process.
Application Deadline: November 11, 2024, 4:00 p.m. CT
Past Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients
Study Abroad Scholarship Sparks Creativity in Nottingham
Study Abroad Scholarship: English Education in Maastricht
Study Abroad Scholarship: Royal Holloway-University of London
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