Go Overseas Community News

At Go Overseas, our mission is to “educate, inspire, and empower our global community to pursue perspective-changing experiences.” We get to help educate interested readers about traveling the world, connect people with program alumni and companies to help find the right opportunity for them, and every once in a while -- we get to change someone's life.

Of course, this couldn’t be possible without our fantastic partners at Education in Ireland and eight universities in Ireland. By joining together for the fourth time to give away over $15,000 in scholarships, Education in Ireland was excited not only to excite and delight the Go Overseas community about study abroad opportunities in Ireland, but also to make these opportunities more accessible. We sought to recruit students from across the country who would truly make the most of a study abroad experience: academically, recreationally, and by serving as an ambassador for meaningful travel at home and abroad.

To put it lightly, 2020 was a challenging year. This scholarship campaign was a fantastic opportunity to end the year on a high note: throughout the campaign, we saw submissions from students who wanted to trace their family’s roots back to Ireland, or students who had studied in Ireland before and wished to return. We read of students’ plans to read James Joyce in Dublin, to mingle with international students in Galway, to hop on a RyanAir flight for weekend getaways in Europe, and (somewhat optimistically) to kiss the Blarney Stone. This scholarship, and the confirmation that it’s still possible to study abroad in 2021, allowed students who were inspired and determined to immerse themselves in Irish culture to put their vision into action.

It might not seem like it, but the scholarship campaigns we run each year -- to encourage studying abroad in Ireland and New Zealand, as well as through our own scholarship program -- are a big project. Several members of the team work hard for weeks before, during, and after the campaign, putting in long hours to make it all possible.

There's one moment that makes all that hard work worth it: the surprise. Once we've received the applications, reviewed all the finalists, and chosen the winner, we would typically fly to that student's school and surprise them with a giant check. 2020 forced us to get creative, but one of our values is to #InnovateFearlessly, and we rose to the challenge.

This year, we connected with our two winners’ friends and family to organize remote surprises through Zoom. While we may have missed the opportunity for an impromptu cross-country trip, the energy of the surprise was not diluted by the long distance. And don’t worry--we mailed them the giant check.

Ngozi has an undergraduate degree in biology and an MSc student in Global Health and Development. She was selected from nearly 2,000 applicants to receive the prize of full tuition, a cost of living stipend of $14,000, and round trip airfare to pursue her Masters degree in Ireland.

In her application essay, Ngozi compared herself to Emma Nabiri, an Irish-Nigerian author, and wondered if the author would have imagined a Black American girl eagerly devouring her writing in her hometown of Dublin. “Truthfully, I did not imagine myself here,” wrote Ngozi.

Yet this is the natural momentum of her work. She will spend her days in Dublin studying Race, Migration, and Decolonial Studies, which, integrated with her background as a global health practitioner, will provide relevant insight into the COVID-19 crisis and its long-term effects. “As an emerging global health practitioner and public engagement team member for ‘Race and Health’,” writes Ngozi, “I have the advocacy tools to promote global health equity for all across different backgrounds.”

Erikah is an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh studying business. Her application was selected from approximately 1,500 applicants to win the undergraduate study abroad award. Erikah will receive tuition for one semester at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, in addition to a $7,000 living stipend and round trip airfare.

According to Erikah, she’s been a fighter ever since elementary school: ”a fighting Irish, to be exact,” she writes, referencing her elementary school mascot. She credits this persevering spirit with her decision to join the varsity football team in high school when the team was short on players, as well as her choice to attend college out of state.

“It was this mindset that enabled [me] to find [my] passion: emboldening [myself] and finding strength in strengthening others,” writes Erikah. By immersing herself in a new culture, she’ll have the opportunity to work towards her own goals and act as an advocate for her community.

Ngozi and Erikah’s strong applications and creative vision boards (pictured above) helped them stand out from the thousands of students who applied this year. Most notable was their evident dedication to maximizing their time abroad and paying forward what they learn. This commitment helped our team at Go Overseas and our partners at Education in Ireland feel confident that they will be fantastic ambassadors for Ireland for years to come.

Ngozi has already sought out community groups online to join the discourse with her peers in Ireland. She believes that “ambassadorial potential is often cultivated in and out of the classroom,” and adds, “I want to dialogue with my classmates as well as members of the larger Irish community about our shared experiences.”

“I believe that, to maximize your global impact, a rich cultural understanding is crucial,” adds Erikah in anticipation of her time abroad. “Studying abroad is one of the best ways a student can acquire global skills and expand their personal and professional network.”

Be sure to check out the video we made to document our socially-distant surprise!

Lastly, if you’d like to be in Ngozi’s and Erikah’s shoes in the future, check out our scholarship resource page to learn more about other scholarships we offer. We have a resource on study abroad scholarships and grants that you might find helpful, too.

Thanks to all the applicants who applied, and our partners: Education in Ireland, Dublin City University, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland - Galway, Trinity College Dublin, UCD Smurfit Business School, University College Cork, University College Dublin, and University of Limerick.

COVID-19 has drastically affected international travel (basically shut down for the immediate future) and limited all of our abilities to go overseas. In response many program providers have increased their online program offerings. It's now possible to intern, teach, study, and learn a new language all online.

We will be the first to tell you that these online experiences will never truly take the place of going overseas and experiencing different countries and cultures in person. We are all aching to be able to travel again. But in the meantime, and thanks to online technology, it is still possible to feel connected to the world thanks to these online programs.

Stay inspired,
The Go Overseas Team

When we started Go Overseas, 10+ years ago, we were just coming out of another world crisis. Andrew and I had just returned to the US from living in one of our world’s most wonderful, welcoming countries: Taiwan. My own life experience taught me one thing, beyond everything else: Human beings are all connected, and we all rely on each other. Travel, at its core, humanizes us, softens us, connects us, and creates a level of compassion, empathy and love for other human beings that changes the way we interact with the world. Founding Go Overseas came from a deep desire to help bring those life-changing feelings to as many people as possible. Now, with travel coming to a standstill, our entire world is disconnecting at a time when we need each other more than ever.

Let’s also be honest about what this means for our field: This is going to be impossibly hard for all of us, mentally, emotionally, and financially. As I type this, I am literally pausing to take some very, very deep breaths and give myself time to feel through the meaning of these words.

What does this mean for all of us, as a field? When this crisis ends, we’ll need to travel more than ever. We’ll also need the good people in this field more than ever. For now, as we wait for this to pass, let’s support each other in every way possible. Let’s provide responsible and calming leadership. While we can’t shake hands and offer hugs, let’s look each other in the eye with a look that says, “I see you, and it’s all going to be OK”. Let’s take a moment to look inward and realize we don’t need as many material things as our culture tells us. We need three things in life: Family and people to love, clean air to breathe, water and food. Everything else is just a bonus. Recognition of these facts can provide a sense of emotional freedom, and perhaps an eventual silver lining to come from this crisis.

While all of this is happening, we want you all to know that Go Overseas is here to help you, and to provide support. Here are ways that we can help serve:

• Community connection: I’ve been talking with founders and leaders all week. If you would like to connect with peers, please reach out. I’m here almost 24/7, and happy to talk with anyone to provide both emotional support, and practical support.
• Financial resources, advice and support: This is having an unprecedented impact on our field. We are all going to need to make difficult choices. I’ve been having non-stop conversations with founders, CEOs and leaders in the field. You are not alone. I’m happy to provide support, advice, or just to listen. We can also connect you with others, and form working groups. Some of you have hundreds of employees, some of you have just a handful. Each and every one of them matters.

At Go Overseas, this also means incredibly hard times. We’re cutting down, and ensuring that we will be here for you when this passes. When we all come out of hibernation, when planes start flying again, and people start booking meaningful travel, we’re going to support you in every possible way. For now, as you need help, support, and encouragement, let us know. We’re here at home and we’re happy to have a video chat, even if it’s just to listen and share a good cry. These are going to be challenging times, but we will get through this together. Our response to our surroundings is all any of us can control. As leaders, we are determined to act responsibly, and model calm and compassion.

We are here, we are with you, and we care.

Sincerely,
Mitch & Andrew