Where the TEAN Full Ride Scholarship Can Take You

At TEAN, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to study abroad and experience the benefits of living, learning and working in another country. Along with a range of programs, prices and destinations, we also offer a number of scholarships to further help students make their dream of studying abroad a reality.

This includes the annual TEAN Full Ride Scholarship that is awarded to one student to cover the full cost of their tuition, program fees and orientation (up to $15,000). Anyone who applies for a Merit, Need or Diversity scholarship by the October 15 deadline is automatically considered for our full ride – that deadline is less than a month away so get applications in ASAP!

Wondering where a full ride scholarship can take you? We reached out to some of our scholarship winners since we began offering the award nearly five years ago to see what the scholarship meant for them and where they are now.

Here’s what they had to say.

Sarah Jakositz, University of New Hampshire, University of Canterbury (Full Ride 2016)

When I received the Full Ride Scholarship to study abroad in New Zealand during my sophomore year of college, it transformed my semester. Instead of worrying about the financial side of things, I was able to focus my full attention on the experience of living on the other side of the world. This meant I had the freedom to do things like absorb every ounce of my Antarctic Studies class, swim with wild dolphins in Kaikoura, witness the magnificence of Doubtful Sound, see the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers before they disappear, and spot wild kiwi on Stewart Island. Instead of this being another semester worrying about my piggy bank, the scholarship allowed me five months of energizing life that pushed me, challenged me and allowed me to grow.

The full ride scholarship gave me the freedom to focus on myself and my experience instead of worrying about what my bank account was going to look like when I got home. I went on solo hikes, trained for and finished my first ever half-marathon, and discovered a strong and empowering sense of independence. I came back home with a newfound confidence that has since guided me to finish my undergraduate degree and continue on to pursue my Masters of Science. This confidence also pushed me to grow my professional network and apply for post-graduation jobs because if I could live on the other side of the world and thrive on my own, I knew I had what it takes to grow in my industry.

Using my study abroad experience as a talking point (because that’s so much more fun to talk about than strengths/weaknesses), I received multiple job offers and accepted a position with a company I am proud to start my career with. I attribute much of my sense of confidence and independence to my time abroad and am still so thankful for the opportunities that the full ride scholarship opened up for me. After I graduate with my M.S. in Environmental Engineering in December, I will start as an Environmental Engineer II with CDM Smith in January working on projects relating to drinking water and water resources.

Allison Paxton, Ohio University, Summer in Seoul (Full Ride 2017)

The fact that I was given the TEAN Full Ride Scholarship meant the world to me and honestly, it was what made the trip happen! The scholarship has been an enormous personal reassurance for me, even to this day. I had to describe so much of who I am, what I’ve done, and what I plan to do in the application that I felt that receiving the scholarship was a sign of support for me and my personal journey. I’ve faced a lot of moments of doubt over time – wondering if I’m doing the right thing and figuring out who I am – so to think that TEAN chose me out of all the other applicants is deeply humbling. It was much more than just financial support for me. I know that without that scholarship, I never would’ve been able to travel to and study in Korea.

Allison has since graduated from her Bachelors degree and is currently teaching English in Japan with hopes to teach in Korea in the future.

Marlee Giacometti, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Thailand/Vietnam Semester (Full Ride 2017)

Being a full ride scholarship recipient for the Thailand/Vietnam semester impacted me in so many ways. It first and foremost relieved a huge amount of financial stress that I have from college. It also, to this day, reminds me to reflect on what a privilege it was to study abroad and earn a degree in general. I am a first generation college graduate from a very rural town in the Midwest where not many people visit places like Southeast Asia, especially to attend a higher education institution. I now feel so empowered by earning the scholarship and the whole experience of the semester abroad. Receiving this scholarship has inspired me to strengthen my community in various ways as well as inspire people to take opportunities such as applying for scholarships, knowing they too can fund life changing experiences such as this.

I graduated with my undergrad in Conservation & Environmental Science in May, and since then I started an apprenticeship for biodynamic farm management in Amherst, Massachusetts.  I am working at a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) called Brookfield Farm. We provide vegetables for over 500 families in the Pioneer Valley and Boston area. We follow principles that engage the community and regenerate the land to feed people far into the future. My goal is to gain as much knowledge and leadership skills as possible to prepare me in supporting communities around the world to improve their own food systems. Once I am finished with my apprenticeship, I am planning to join the Peace Corps to work on an agricultural project in Latin America.

Katie Sause, University of Rhode Island, Summer Wildlife (Full Ride 2018)

After being told that I was the recipient of TEAN’s Full Ride Scholarship, I was completely surprised and an immediate sense of euphoria came over me. The scholarship allowed me the opportunity to be present in Australia, without feeling overwhelmed by some of the heavy expenses that would accompany the journey. I felt, and will always be, extremely grateful to have been selected as the recipient of this scholarship. I knew that it would lead me to a once- in-a-lifetime adventure, which is exactly what it did. Now that I am entering my final year at the University of Rhode Island, I have decided to focus my Environmental and Natural Resource Economics studies on renewable energy. This past summer, I interned with a solar energy company based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I find great motivation for my career path from my experiences with the Australian wildlife course last summer. After three weeks of being immersed in rainforests, reefs and an overall eco-friendly mindset, I was left with an increased sense of connectivity and stewardship to the environment.

One of the top motivations for my studies is my passion for wildlife protection, and I find comfort knowing that working for a cleaner environment, also works in favor of wildlife conservation and protection. This concept is something I was able to experience firsthand in Australia and, with each wildlife encounter, my motivation to continue working for a greener future only grows.

Ready to get started? You can apply for a TEAN scholarship and find out if you’ve received an award before TEAN program application deadlines allowing you to fully know your financial situation before determining when and where you’d like to study abroad. 

Find all of TEAN’s study abroad scholarship details here.