From May 20 – June 3, 2024, I traveled with my classmates and two of my professors to the United Kingdom—England and Scotland specifically. The purpose of our travel focused on a Special Topics: Fantasy Storytelling and Worldbuilding class I took at Ohio Northern University. During the semester, we were instructed to write a short story in the fantasy genre based on a world we as a class created. It had always been a dream of mine to travel the world, and being able to do so through my university was a gift. The two weeks we spent abroad were very enlightening to me and my peers.
In England, a few of the highlights were visiting Oxford, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, Big Ben, and Abbey Road. The thing that I will remember the most about the week we spent in London is seeing Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. As an English major, seeing a Shakespeare play anywhere is cool, but when you see it at the Globe, it becomes so much more. Even more, we had groundling tickets, so we were up close to the stage and the actors.
In Scotland, a few of the highlights were visiting Edinburgh Castle, Scottish Highlands, Mary King’s Close, and going on a ghost tour. The week we spent in Scotland, which was where we ultimately decided, as a class, would be the main setting of our world, was very cool. Seeing the place we spent months reading about and building a fantasy world in, and then comparing it to the real thing was an experience I will never forget. While in Scotland, I will always remember seeing the Scottish Highlands and just being in awe.
This trip has impacted me greatly, not only for the story I wrote in class but also for my future endeavors. My hope after graduation is to go into the publishing and editing industry while also writing novels. The entire experience of writing a story based on a real place and then visiting those places gave me insight into how to write specific things such as setting, human interaction, and smaller things like what food people eat. Traveling abroad can get very expensive, so being able to go on this trip with the help of Sigma Tau Delta’s Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship was a great honor. Overall, traveling to the UK expanded my knowledge as a writer and my personal growth regarding wanting to see the world.
Sophia Braun
Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, Fall 2023
Delta Iota Chapter
Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
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: October 13 through November 3, 2025, 4:00 p.m. CT
Past Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients
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.
