Everyone says that studying abroad is the most life-changing, world-broadening experience you can have in college. So, being young and impressionable as I was at 19, I applied for a semester in Rome, and was offered a spot. Oddly enough, I felt virtually no excitement about the prospect of a sun-drenched semester in Italy, and instead felt something a lot like dread.
To make matters worse, that summer I was struck down with the worst bout of anxiety I had ever experienced. I could barely eat, I would wake up with my heart hammering like I was being hunted for sport, and the cherry on top of the proverbial cake was that I would quite literally projectile vomit whenever I stepped foot in an airport. Needless to say, international travel was out of the question if I desired to retain any semblance of sanity, and I gave up my place in the program. To be frank, I remember feeling more relief than disappointment that I was no longer going abroad. I had no connection to the location, I worried about missing an entire semester back in Oregon, and I feared being in an unfamiliar place would make my anxiety even worse.
After fall semester, with a new prescription and quite a few coping mechanisms, I began to feel like myself again. I applied to study abroad once more, this time for a summer studying Sexuality and Gender in Amsterdam. This time, I was excited—the program was something I wanted to do, not something I thought I should do. As I departed from San Francisco International Airport (vomit-free!), I decided I would say yes to whatever new experiences came my way.
My summer in Amsterdam ended up being the most rewarding, whirlwind experience of my life. In my Art History class, I got to visually analyze a Rembrandt painting in front of the real thing in the Mauritshuis Museum. I interviewed the authors of the books I read in my Literature class and took a guided tour of the Red Light district while learning about the literary history of the city. Thanks to the Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship I received, I was able to travel during my free weekends, where I soaked up the culture and history of the cities I went to. I attended a beer tasting with friends in Belgium, took an overnight bus to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, traveled solo to a spa town in Germany, had the best (and most expensive) fish and chips of my life in London, and went to more museums than I can count. Seeing the masterpieces I had studied in my classes all over Europe was such a full-circle moment for me as an Art History major, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the funding I received from Sigma Tau Delta.
I can confidently say that I emerged from my study abroad experience as a more worldly, confident, and brave person. I exercised my resilience (tested by the many youth hostels I stayed in) and learned that I am plenty capable of problem solving (European train systems are no joke). My time in Amsterdam has also inspired me to research grad schools in the Netherlands, and I feel a bit more confident about what my life may look like post-undergrad. As I look back on my summer, I can’t help but think of the girl I was a year ago, and how far I’ve come since then. I think she’d be proud.
Lilly Thies
Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, Spring 2025
Alpha Omega Omicron Chapter
Willamette University, OR
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
- Currently an undergraduate student
- Plan to study abroad in a certified undergraduate program for all or part of an academic term
All applications will be submitted via the AwardSpring Online submission process.
Application Deadline: March 16 – April 13, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CT
Past Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients
Pura Vida: My Four Months Studying Abroad in Costa Rica
Blooming from the Pages: Studying Abroad in Ireland
English Connections through Arcades and Gachapon Shops during a Study Abroad
Fulfilling a Fantasy Dream with a Study Abroad
English Connections through Arcades and Gachapon Shops during a Study Abroad
Lo Spirito Impressa: A Study Abroad Experience
Publishing, Passion, and Paris: My Study Abroad Experience in Paris
Studying Abroad: From Museums to Host Moms
Study Abroad, Or How to Succeed during the Unexpected
Study Abroad Scholarship Sparks Creativity in Nottingham
Study Abroad Scholarship: English Education in Maastricht
Study Abroad Scholarship: Royal Holloway-University of London
Study Abroad and Diversify Your College Experience
On Studying Abroad
Summer Stories from Abroad
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. The Society strives to
- Confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies;
- Provide, through its local chapters, cultural stimulation on college campuses and promote interest in literature and the English language in surrounding communities;
- Foster all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing;
- Promote exemplary character and good fellowship among its members;
- Exhibit high standards of academic excellence; and
- Serve society by fostering literacy.
With over 900 active chapters located in the United States and abroad, there are more than 1,000 Faculty Advisors, and approximately 9,000 members inducted annually.
Sigma Tau Delta also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature.
