Students Receive UA Away Scholarships for Service Project in Guatemala

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Division of Student Affairs has named six students who will receive UA Away scholarships to participate in service abroad March 10-17 as part of the Community Service Center Alternative Spring Break program in Guatemala.

The service abroad scholarship recipients include:

-Froy Batsielilit of Gabon, Africa, a senior majoring in Spanish and international relations

-Lisa Bochey of Tuscaloosa, a junior majoring in communicative disorders and Spanish

-Carson Economy of Tuscaloosa, a senior majoring in psychology

-Nicholas Kelly of Phenix City, a junior majoring in exercise science

-Nicole Nealon of Tuscaloosa, a junior majoring in criminal justice and psychology

-Kristen Pugh of Muscle Shoals, a senior majoring in human development and family studies.

The students have committed their spring break to a week of immersion in service. The scholarships were awarded through the Student Affairs UA Away initiative that supports learning opportunities for students to study, serve or work away with a scholarship that covers all expenses related to performing the community service.
     
“Maximizing student learning means we must encourage our students to become global citizens. The UA Away scholarship initiative supports students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from the unique educational opportunity that only comes from travel abroad,” said Dr. Mark Nelson, vice president for student affairs and vice provost, who helped establish the scholarship fund.

In Guatemala, the UA students will participate in construction projects and mentor local children. The students will also bring their individual backgrounds and world experiences to the trip.

Batsielilit said her experience as a child in a poverty-stricken area of Africa helps her have an understanding of what life is like for the people of Guatemala. “I want to a make a difference, even just a small contribution,” she said. “Because of my personal experience, it would mean the world to me to know that a family was able to have a more convenient life because of me.”
 
Pugh has been working at the Capstone International office for three years, but she has only been able to learn about different cultures from the stories she hears from others. She said she is ready to experience a different culture first-hand and use her skills as a human development and family studies major to make a difference. 

Like Pugh, Kelly will travel outside of the U.S. for the first time when he goes to Guatemala. He hopes to bring the lessons he learns back to the UA community so he can teach others. “I absolutely love learning from every situation and person I come in contact with,” he said. “It allows me to grow as a citizen and a human being, but it also allows me to teach others so they can make a difference in others’ lives as well.”

A more experienced study abroad student, Economy will be making his second trip to Guatemala. “My experience in Guatemala taught me what it means to give back and to completely give of yourself – before this trip I had no idea what that meant,” he said. “I look forward to seeing my Guatemalan friends again, to see how they have grown, and to help the new group of volunteers have the same life-changing experience that I had last year.”
 
Other upcoming Alternative Breaks include a domestic Alternative Spring Break trip to Baldwin County working with Habitat for Humanity and an Alternative May Interim Break trip to the Dominican Republic focusing on medical outreach and mentoring.

The Division of Student Affairs maximizes each UA student’s learning experience. To learn more about the Division of Student Affair’s UA Away scholarship initiative, visit sa.ua.edu. To learn more about the Community Service Center’s Alternative Break program, visit volunteer.ua.edu.