For more than three decades, Ross Wolf 鈥�88 鈥�91MPA 鈥�98EdD has lived a double life. By day, he shapes the minds of criminal justice students and serves as a faculty administrator at 麻豆原创. By night and on weekends, he has patrolled Orange County as a sworn deputy sheriff entirely as a volunteer, dedicating about 500 hours per year to the agency.

In March, the Orange County Sheriff鈥檚 Office (OCSO) will present him with both the Reserve Deputy of the Year award for 2025 and a Distinguished Service Medal as he retires from the agency after 34 years of service. As reserve chief deputy, Wolf modernized the unit by rewriting OCSO’s reserve policy and establishing international exchange programs with agencies in London and Singapore.

As Wolf approaches this milestone he remains focused on sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise and his industry connections as interim dean of the 麻豆原创 College of Community Innovation and Education, professor of criminal justice and associate provost of 麻豆原创 Downtown.

Taking the Risk

Wolf’s unconventional path began in 1991 when he started as an auxiliary deputy with OCSO. In 1995, he made a bold decision: he took a 50% pay cut to leave his 鈥渄ay job鈥� and become a full-time deputy sheriff. For five years, he served as a patrol officer, field training officer and detective.

In 1999, he made another pivot 鈥� joining 麻豆原创 as a full-time faculty member while remaining a reserve deputy. For the next 25 years, Wolf would maintain both roles simultaneously, eventually rising to reserve chief deputy, the highest-ranking volunteer position in the agency, overseeing more than 70 sworn personnel, while also becoming a tenured professor, department chair, associate dean and associate provost for 麻豆原创 Downtown.

“Staying current with law enforcement practices made me an effective deputy and allowed me to share accurate, real-world information with students.” 鈥� Ross Wolf

“These commitments required significant time, but staying current with law enforcement practices made me an effective deputy and allowed me to share accurate, real-world information with students,” Wolf says.

It also allowed him to identify and address the gap in research on volunteer policing, which has existed longer than professional police departments. For decades, Wolf built a network of international scholars to develop comparative research. He鈥檚 also helped develop a framework that is part of an International Association of Chiefs of Police model policy now used by many agencies nationwide.

Training the Next Generation

While leading the reserve unit and conducting groundbreaking research into volunteer policing programs across the United States and internationally, Wolf applied his dual expertise to classroom lectures and created programs that continue to provide students with real-world law enforcement experience.

In 1996, he launched the Law Enforcement Officer Training Corps (LEOTC). Through this initiative, 10 to 15 students each year completed two-semester internships at the OCSO, rotating through specialized units before spending a full semester in their area of greatest interest.

He organized study abroad programs in the United Kingdom that brought 54 麻豆原创 students over three years to examine international policing models in a reciprocal exchange. In 2016, 18 British students came to Orlando to ride along with Orange County reserve deputies. Their shifts were underway when the Pulse nightclub shooting occurred. For Zoe Williamson 鈥�21MPA, witnessing officers’ courage and dedication during the tragedy inspired her to complete her master鈥檚 degree at 麻豆原创 and pursue a career in law enforcement.

Wolf鈥檚 programs created a pipeline of well-trained officers for agencies across Central Florida, with multiple LEOTC graduates joining the OCSO.

鈥淲hile everyone knew him as 鈥楧r. Wolf,鈥� I always called him 鈥楥hief,鈥欌�� says Stephen Fickey 鈥�11, a criminal justice grad who is now a training deputy with the OCSO. 鈥淗aving the leader of my reserve unit also be my professor was a unique experience I felt privileged to have.鈥�

Fickey recalled Wolf joking with him about uniform inspections during final exam week.

鈥淢oments like that showed me the most valuable quality in a leader is remembering where you came from,鈥� Fickey says.

Earning Recognition in Service and Scholarship

Wolf’s dual contributions have been recognized with national honors, including the American Police Hall of Fame’s J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal, the National Sheriffs鈥� Association Medal of Merit, and a Presidential Daily Point of Light Award, along with multiple 麻豆原创 teaching and service awards.

鈥淎s reserve chief deputy, [Ross Wolf has] built our unit into one of the best in the nation and agencies from around the world now look to us as a model,鈥� says Orange County Sheriff John Mina. 鈥淩oss has provided thousands of volunteer hours, but his impact goes even further,鈥� Mina continues. 鈥淭hrough his work at 麻豆原创, he鈥檚 trained hundreds of students who’ve gone on to serve in law enforcement, including here at OCSO. He鈥檚 represented our agency with professionalism and integrity at every turn, and we’re grateful for his service to the residents and visitors of Orange County.”

As Wolf focuses on academic leadership at 麻豆原创, he leaves a lasting legacy out in the field 鈥� one that has shaped national standards, hundreds of mentored officers serving across the profession, and proof that bridging practice and scholarship creates lasting impact.

Although the representatives from these nations may seem culturally dissimilar, the students and faculty in attendance united to find common ground by identifying key opportunities to advance public health for all and establish the framework for future summits and student exchange programs.

麻豆原创 partnered with the University of Malta to host the summit, which was themed 鈥淗arnessing Data and Multilateral Collaborations to Advance Population Health.鈥� Nearly 60 people from Peru, Ghana and American universities attended, including three 麻豆原创 medical students who presented research results and data analyses that may eventually inform public health interventions or policy.

鈥淒ata is the lifeblood of modern innovation,鈥� says Elena Cyrus, a College of Medicine Population Health Sciences faculty member, in her opening remarks at the summit. 鈥淚n global health, it empowers us to uncover patterns, predict outbreaks, personalize treatments and allocate resources where they are needed most. From tracking infectious diseases to optimizing healthcare delivery, data is not just a tool 鈥� it is a catalyst for change.鈥�

Big Data in a Small Nation

The summit materialized after a digital health conference where Cyrus and Eric Schrimshaw, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences, spoke with Maltese faculty and discovered many similarities.

鈥淲e both have the economic benefit of tourism, but that also comes with the burden of tourism and risk of infectious disease,鈥� Schrimshaw says. 鈥淲e’re both semi-tropical warm countries that could have both tropical diseases that are emerging or transported to this area.鈥�

Malta is 10 times smaller than Rhode Island, and it has a single-payer healthcare system. These factors can make for streamlined public health research and expose the 麻豆原创 students to new healthcare systems.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important for our med students to see how other healthcare systems work,鈥� Schrimshaw says. 鈥淲ith the single-payer system in Malta, they have medical records for everyone in the country. That means that they have what we would call population-level data. This is really useful from a research standpoint to better understand public health.鈥�

The summit was not a traditional large conference with keynote speakers and minimal interaction, Cyrus says. Instead, small groups came together to share strategies and build upon central themes, including big data innovations and gaps in clinical care.

The experts determined that paramount issues in public health worldwide include mental health and the growing need to harness precision medicine.

Cyrus says she and her colleagues are working on a paper in anticipation of publishing their findings for a wider academic audience.

Reflecting on the summit, she says it was both informative and productive, and the faculty and health care experts representing multiple international universities and institutions were eager to continue advancing global health.

鈥淲hen we concluded, there was a certain level of energy from the delegates,鈥� Cyrus says. 鈥淓veryone asked if 麻豆原创 would be willing to co-host again.鈥�

鈥淭his global conference is a natural extension of our mission to train 鈥楾he Good Doctors鈥� who are prepared to address health challenges across a variety of settings,鈥� 鈥� Omar Martinez, 麻豆原创 professor of 聽population health.

鈥淭he Good Doctor鈥� at Home and Abroad

The summit also helped to guide the next generation of 麻豆原创 doctors in their pursuit of becoming 鈥淭he Good Doctor,鈥� by blending their classroom and clinical experiences with research conducted over three weeks preceding the summit.

The 鈥淕ood Doctor鈥� is introduced to all 麻豆原创 students on the first day of medical school by Deborah German, vice president for health affairs and the College of Medicine鈥檚 founding dean. She asks new students to visualize the traits of a doctor they would want caring for the person they love most. Students call out traits that German writes on a blackboard, which is displayed at the med school year-round. Those characteristics are the students鈥� contract with their faculty, patients and each other as they become 鈥淭he Good Doctor.鈥�

鈥淭his global conference is a natural extension of our mission to train 鈥楾he Good Doctors鈥� who are prepared to address health challenges across a variety of settings,鈥� says Omar Martinez, a 麻豆原创 professor of population health, who attended the summit. 鈥淪uch experiences not only deepen cultural awareness but also sharpen research skills and foster adaptability, qualities essential for delivering effective care and advancing health in an interconnected world.鈥�

Nolan Kline, an associate professor of population health, also participated in the summit and says he was most impressed with how the students conducted and presented meaningful research on a compressed timeline.

鈥淪eeing students鈥� high-quality work underscores the value of providing multiple training and research opportunities to students,鈥澛爃e says. 鈥淭he conference showed ample opportunity for cross-cultural collaboration on urgent medical and population health topics that are common in both the U.S. and Malta, including traveler health, preventing infectious disease and understanding the multiple determinants of communicable disease.鈥�

Student Research Endeavors

Second-year medical student Riley Nguyen analyzed Maltese mortality data to help refine and pinpoint potential interventions for specific demographics. Nguyen examined different age groups and ethnicities to find commonalities and differences and then consulted with local experts to better understand how to tailor patient care.

She says the experience helped prepare her for presenting findings in an academic setting.

鈥淚鈥檓 learning so much about not only medicine, but also the collaborative effort of people from different countries,鈥� Nguyen says. 鈥淢y project was very preliminary, but I was able to present at the conference and do an oral presentation. I want to continue working with my project and connect through different databases.鈥�

Nguyen says she believes her involvement and networking at the summit will help her further her education.

鈥淚 met people who would still work as a clinician while doing research, and it was really interesting to see so many people doing that,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 feel like I now havePubl so many connections that I can really push forward and into a career in global health.鈥�

She was inspired to pursue a career in global health after volunteering at a clinic in Nicaragua in high school. Nguyen says the trip to Malta further invigorated her interests.

鈥淲orking in global health is very humbling and humanizing and has given me a perspective that has made me want to do medicine even more than I already did,鈥� she says.

Meltem Tutar, a second-year med school student, says the three-week experience enriched her understanding of how to use data for improving health. Tutar has a background in data science and worked in Ghana for a few years, so undertaking a career in global health is a way to synthesize her interests.

Tutar鈥檚 research project examined large swaths of injury data including statistics on self-harm, occupational injuries and domestic violence. She used the information to examine specific demographics and see which groups may be most susceptible to certain risks and what opportunities may exist to prevent future injuries.

鈥淲ith this knowledge, you may have more targeted public health interventions,鈥� Tutar says. 鈥淚f you have a limited number of resources and you can only target [a certain] amount of people 鈥� and you know [some] are more at risk 鈥� you may try to personalize and target them more.鈥�

The variety of topics explored at the summit and the optimism of those in attendance helped to create a sense of unity in addressing global health challenges for everyone, she added.

鈥淚t can be overwhelming thinking about all kinds of problems around the world that can affect global health,鈥� Tutar says. 鈥淏ut I saw big groups of people at this conference organizing and coming together to find creative solutions to these problems.鈥�

For future summits and educational experiences, Martinez envisions expanding the program to include even more 麻豆原创 students and welcome Maltese students.

鈥淥ur vision is for this initiative to grow into a platform that catalyzes collaborative research, advances population health and drives innovative solutions to pressing health challenges,鈥� he says.

All medical students interested in being a part of the next cohort of international students are invited to attend an informational meeting on global health exchange programs at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in COM 116. Students may .

But with the support of the , 15 麻豆原创 students have received financial assistance that will help make their study abroad dreams a reality. Each recipient is awarded up to $5,000 to fund their international studies.

Scholarships are awarded during two cycles each academic year. Here are the student awardees for the second cycle of the 2023-24 academic year.

Gilman Scholarship Awardees

• Abdur-Rauf 鈥淔atimah鈥� Wood, College of Business
• Angelina Alonzo, College of Sciences
• Anjiya Pirani, College of Sciences
• Cecilia Deskins, College of Business
• Gianluca Cambria, College of Business
• Hami Mushfiq, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Jerry He, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Burnett Honors College
• Pascal Silburn, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Suseth Serrano, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Tamara Van Newhouse, College of Sciences, Burnett Honors College
• Valerie Mauricio Ruiz, College of Business, Burnett Honors College
• Valery Villarraga, College of Arts and Humanities

This list reflects 12 of the 15 total awardees. Three students chose to not have their names published.

The scholarship program provides undergraduate students with limited financial means the opportunity to study or intern abroad and gain valuable academic and professional experience, language abilities and knowledge of the world needed to lead successful careers. By supporting students who may otherwise not have the resources to intern or study in a different country, the program ensures that students from many different backgrounds have the chance to develop their intercultural skills while gaining a global perspective. Since the program鈥檚 establishment in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars have studied in 155 countries around the world.

Keep reading to get to know a few of the 15 ambitious 麻豆原创 students awarded the Gilman Scholarship.

A conversation with a coworker turned into a lifechanging opportunity to study in Spain for Anjiya Pirani, who first learned of the Gilman Scholarship Program from a fellow resident assistant (RA) at .

鈥淲e were discussing how expensive studying abroad can be and how a former RA had received the [Gilman Scholarship],鈥� Pirani says.

Knowing that a former 麻豆原创 student was awarded gave the third-year student motivation to apply just four days before the application deadline.

鈥淐oming from a low-income family, it鈥檚 difficult to afford a trip abroad,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful to receive this scholarship 鈥� it鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance my career, immerse myself in a different culture, practice a new language, and most importantly, see the world from a different perspective.鈥�

Pirani spent a month in Barcelona, Spain, this summer participating in the 麻豆原创 Barcelona Center study abroad program where she completed a class related to her major. Much of Pirani鈥檚 studies focused on investigating psychological perspectives and making connections between the merging of art with science 鈥� a topic the psychology major hopes to apply as a future clinical psychologist helping unleash the creativity of others.

Orlando, Florida, has always been home for Valery Villarraga, a student in both the and the , who鈥檒l travel more than 5,000 miles away to study architecture in Italy in August. She鈥檚 looking forward to experiencing a country known for its unique structures and design elements. As a child, Villarraga recalls taking photos of buildings in New York and being fascinated by their designs. Now with a new camera in tow, she鈥檒l be in the presence of world-famous buildings like the Pantheon and the Colosseum through the Vicenza Institute of Architecture program 鈥� a full-circle moment.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about taking a sketching class,鈥� Villarraga says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been studying these buildings throughout my coursework and now I鈥檓 going to be able to see and sketch them [in person].鈥�

The Gilman Scholarship has given Villarraga a chance to get out of her comfort zone and is an experience she believes doesn鈥檛 come around twice. Upon her return, she鈥檚 excited to share a personal history book filled with photos and sketches of buildings and written journal entries of her daily experiences with her 麻豆原创 peers.

鈥淚 plan to bring this book back to my classmates to encourage them to study abroad,鈥� she says.

For senior Hami Mushfiq, the guidance from Christina Hussey, coordinator for 麻豆原创鈥檚 , made for a smooth scholarship application process. The senior chose to spend a month in Sweden taking classes related to purchasing logistics at Jonkoping University.

鈥淪ince I pay my own bills and would not be working throughout the duration of the program,鈥� Mushfiq says, 鈥済etting this scholarship offsets a good chunk of my worries.鈥� 鈥淚 can focus on what is important, which is learning the culture and the logistics market of Sweden.鈥�

The industrial engineering major has wasted no time already visiting major cities including Stockholm, Gothenburg, Sweden, and Budapest, Hungary, where he鈥檚 learning how European traditions have impacted the management of logistics. His words of advice to future Gilman Scholarship applicants: 鈥淎pply even if you think you won鈥檛 get [the scholarship]. If you want to waste time, waste it on trying, not doubting.鈥�

Integrated business major Abdur-Rauf 鈥淔atimah鈥� Wood was in the writing center at 麻豆原创 religiously to perfect her Gilman Scholarship application. She says being notified as an awardee was an unexpected surprise.

鈥淚 was very happy. I didn鈥檛 need to pick up hours [at a job] anywhere. I could just travel this summer,鈥� Wood says.

She never joined a club or did an internship, but nevertheless, Wood sought out to graduate from 麻豆原创 with a bang. The senior spent two weeks in Singapore this summer learning about cultures, careers and a global perspective, and met with several sustainable companies throughout the country to discuss their eco-friendly initiatives.

After making it back to the U.S., Gilman Scholars are required to design a Follow-on Service Project to inspire the next wave of students in their home communities and campuses to study or intern abroad. Wood already has plans to not only inspire college students, but also high schoolers, to get involved.

鈥淚 think in high school I wasn鈥檛 motivated to be involved outside of my academics because opportunities like studying abroad, student clubs and internships weren鈥檛 talked about as much,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to give students a different perspective: don鈥檛 only go to college to get your degree, but also have fun.鈥�

Those interested in learning more about study abroad opportunities are encouraged to reach out to 麻豆原创 Abroad at StudyAbroad@ucf.edu to learn more. Those interested in the Gilman Scholarship and other opportunities, please reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at OPA@ucf.edu.

This year鈥檚 recipients are Angelina Alonzo, a political science major; Flora Ngo, a criminal justice and psychology double major; and Sean Merkel, a computer science major. With support from the (OPA), all three applied, were awarded the scholarship and designed their own study programs.

鈥� an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office 鈥� provide funding of up to $25,000 for study abroad experiences for U.S. college students from various fields of study. Select students will find themselves immersed in languages and cultures of world regions critical to U.S. interests. The goal: to build America鈥檚 next generation of government service and education professionals who鈥檝e cultivated international relationships and worked and studied alongside experts of other countries. These future leaders will help the U.S. make sound decisions on and deal effectively with global issues related to the country鈥檚 national security.

Meet the three Knights who are set to venture overseas this summer.

Gaining a New Perspective in Latvia

Background Check

A young Alonzo would listen intently as her father told endless stories about traveling the world while working for the federal government. Like old VHS tapes, memories played back of the different cultures he encountered and languages he learned.

鈥淸His stories] inspired me to travel the world,鈥� Alonzo says.

Growing up in a Dominican household, Spanish was second nature to her. Naturally, she studied the language as a college freshman, but learning a critical language quickly piqued her interest.

鈥淚 knew I didn鈥檛 want to [learn] Mandarin because [it鈥檚] way too hard,鈥� Alonzo says. 鈥淪o, Russian it is.鈥�

Going for it

Alonzo first learned of the Boren Awards as a first-year student. After several months of research, she applied for the Boren Scholarship in December 2022. What she thought would be a perfect opportunity to learn Turkish in Turkey, turned into the curation of an epic Russian study abroad experience, because she was learning Russian after all.

Next Stop: Daugavpils

The sophomore is looking forward to her first trip out of the U.S. Due to the current Russia travel advisory established by the U.S. Department of State, she’ll be traveling to one of Russia鈥檚 neighboring countries: Latvia. Over the course of about 38 weeks, she says she鈥檚 excited to experience a new environment 鈥� one that鈥檚 vastly different than the Spanish and American cultures she鈥檚 familiar with 鈥� while strengthening her understanding of the Russian language at Daugavpils University in Daugavpils, Latvia.

鈥淢y biggest accomplishment would be realizing that I鈥檓 speaking Russian without needing my textbook or a translator app,鈥� Alonzo says.

The Future is Bright

Upon returning next spring, the member plans to enrich her academics by pursuing a third minor in either terrorism studies or psychology.

A Cultural Exchange in Vietnam

Background Check

Weekly Vietnamese school lessons at church is where senior Ngo studied the language formally, but she鈥檚 engaged with it from birth growing up with Vietnamese parents.

鈥淛ust getting that practice and having the opportunity to learn new words in different ways is important to me,鈥� Ngo says.

Going for it

Despite Vietnamese not being included in the many聽聽offered at 麻豆原创, Ngo was eager to improve her fluency. Boren Award representatives visited her Intelligence Analysis and Reporting class in Fall 2021, providing Ngo with initial insight about the immersive program. A year later, she was earnestly writing essays, getting letters of recommendation and receiving guidance from OPA as she began her Boren Scholarship application.

Next Stop: Ho Chi Minh City

Ngo channeled her Vietnamese background and interest in understanding the preconceptions surrounding other nations into a desire to study in Vietnam. The country isn’t very common for study abroad programs, which drove Ngo to custom tailor her program for her studies at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Her studies at 麻豆原创 focus on federal government operations, which Ngo explains ties directly to her 11-month study abroad experience.

鈥淥pening my mind to the different cultures and experiences in Vietnam [will give] me a better outlook [on global government systems] 鈥� knowing that the way we do things in the U.S. isn鈥檛 how it is everywhere else,鈥� Ngo says.

The Future is Bright

Ngo is looking forward to graduating as a Burnett Honors Scholar from 麻豆原创 and applying to a master鈥檚 program in international security while pursuing a career in national security.

鈥淚 just want to contribute somehow,鈥� Ngo says. 鈥淗aving a grasp of a common language in Southeast Asia would help me in that regard 鈥� giving me another avenue to be able to [facilitate communication].鈥�

Making Connections in Japan

Background Check

The Miami native and Spanish speaker is connecting to a childhood interest by learning Japanese. 鈥淚 watch anime and grew up [playing] video games,鈥� Merkel says, 鈥渟o Japan always had a place in my life.鈥�

Going for it

As the first student in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science to be awarded a Boren Scholarship, Merkel recalls being inspired by a conversation with a family friend who studied abroad in Thailand.

鈥淚 feel like studying abroad anywhere is a way to find yourself 鈥� it鈥檚 a rite of passage,鈥� says Merkel, a junior.

Next Stop: Osaka

He chose Osaka, Japan, a city 247 miles away from Tokyo, because of his longtime fascination with the region鈥檚 culture and language.

鈥淚 picked Japan because I鈥檝e always wanted to learn Japanese and it鈥檚 also a critical language,鈥� Merkel says. 鈥淸Visiting Japan has] been on my bucket list 鈥� and the fact that I got a scholarship to go is great.鈥�

Merkel is anticipating the difficulty in learning Japanese but is excited to branch out and meet new people and try new experiences as a student at Osaka University.

鈥淚鈥檓 going there for the language class,鈥� Merkel say, 鈥渂ut I鈥檓 also going there to try other classes like cooking.鈥�

The Future is Bright

Merkel is looking forward to working with the federal government upon his return 鈥� a requirement of Boren Scholars for a minimum of one year. During that time, he can apply to receive federal government agency issued security clearance.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big thing for the聽cybersecurity聽world,鈥� Merkel says. 鈥淚鈥檒l be attractive to the job market, plus, I鈥檒l have some language experience with Japanese, too.鈥�

This opportunity will be beneficial as Merkel seeks a future career as a cybersecurity penetration tester.

Students interested in applying for Boren awards or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.

For me, a graduate from 麻豆原创, that great day 鈥� and other life-changing educational opportunities that I had the good fortune of experiencing 鈥� were thanks to the .

I started classes at 麻豆原创 in 2012 and soon learned about the intersection of travel and education, which I began participating in during my time at the university. I chose opportunities in France, Germany, Taiwan and two different places in China. I earned my bachelor鈥檚 degrees in political science听补苍诲 economics at 麻豆原创 and earned another bachelor鈥檚 in business administration from ICN Business School, Nancy, France. I have also earned a master鈥檚 degree in economics from Hong Kong Baptist University and now work in the startup space here in Hong Kong.

Some of my educational experiences included:

• Volunteering at a refugee camp with those from war-torn Syria as Germany opened its borders to welcome nearly 1 million immigrants and refugees. The immigrants shared their stories of how they risked their lives crossing treacherous borders in hopes of a better life.
• Immersing in 2,000 years of Chinese history while visiting the Terracotta Warriors of Qin Shi Huang, China鈥檚 first emperor. He started building his own tomb when he was only 13, involving 100,000+ workers to create 8,000 stone soldiers to protect him and his vast empire in the afterlife.
• Taking a bus from France with classmates from 25 different countries through Europe while visiting Prague鈥檚 historic castles, participating in Berlin鈥檚 festive Oktoberfest and celebrating Christmas mass with the pope in Vatican City, the smallest country in the world.

If there is one piece of advice I would give to any student, it is to travel abroad at least once in your life 鈥� although I highly doubt you鈥檒l do it only once if you try it. Traveling and experiencing new cultures widens your mindset and forces you to learn more about yourself along the way.

鈥淭he journey changes you; it should change you,鈥� said the late celebrity chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain. 鈥淚t leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart and on your body.鈥�

Here are my tips for studying abroad:

• Many people I know passed up studying abroad because they thought they couldn鈥檛 afford it or it wouldn鈥檛 fit into their schedules. I鈥檝e learned that if you really put your mind to it, anything is possible. Most of my five study-abroad programs were fully funded through scholarships. Apply to as many as you can and don鈥檛 be discouraged. I applied to 50+ and only received five, but they were enough for my programs.
• Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. You will face obstacles and failure, but that鈥檚 okay. Struggle and failure are a part of studying abroad 鈥� and life, for that matter. Learn from it, get back up and move on. You鈥檒l learn to be resourceful and to persevere, which will prepare you for many future obstacles life will throw at you.
• It鈥檚 better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times. You can read about Rome for years, but seeing the Coliseum once will unlock some wonder within you. You learn so much more while you travel that books and studies can never really teach you. Be open-minded and soak in as much as you can. Learn new languages, meet new people, try new foods.
• Traveling turns you into a storyteller. After your travels, you鈥檒l never have a dull moment with all the stories you鈥檝e accumulated. Feel free to keep a travel diary, blog or journal. Photos are a great way to memorialize your adventure and share with loved ones. I still go through my photos and stories reminiscing every now and then, especially when I meet up with friends I鈥檝e made from study abroad (which happens at least a few times every year). Studying abroad will increase your creativity and communication skills as you learn to make conversation with people speaking different languages and holding different mindsets.

• Studying abroad may seem overwhelming, but take it step by step as it happens. Will a 30-minute consultation with your advisor about study abroad really impact your life? Go schedule that first meeting to explore the opportunities.

Thomas Huang 鈥�17聽is an聽entrepreneur living in Hong Kong who is passionate聽about 聽adventure, fashion, fitness and food. To see more of his travels follow @THTravels on Instagram

The grant is from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund that aims to help create university partnerships to achieve an overall goal of increasing the number of U.S. students studying in other countries of the western hemisphere. It also aims to increase the number of students traveling to the United States to 100,000 by 2020. The U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America support the fund.

Through a new partnership with the Universidad de Cienfuegos in Cuba, 麻豆原创 students will study for two weeks in Cienfuegos, where they will work with Cuban communication students to produce media content about the arts, culture and music of Cuba. The work they produce will be in both English and Spanish and will be published on Nicholson Student Media, a 麻豆原创-student operated website.

The money from the grant will be used on students鈥� travel and accommodations, eliminating the cost barrier that often keeps students from studying abroad.

鈥淭his is an academic trip with great potential for students on both sides, in both countries,鈥� said Katie Coronado, 麻豆原创 instructor of radio-television, journalism and Hispanic media. 鈥淭his experience can make them more marketable and enhance their resumes.鈥�

Students will learn about media practices in both countries, how content is created abroad, and be put in real-life situations that will require planning, time management and how to work among differences in language and cultural contexts, according to grant proposal documents written by Coronado and Erica Rodriguez Kight, lecturer of broadcast journalism, radio-television and Hispanic media.

鈥淭he students will pick a topic, research it ahead of time, plan their coverage and go to Cuba ready to produce an exciting project,鈥� said Kight. It鈥檚 sure to be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students and an opportunity to collaborate with Cuban students who are also studying communication.鈥�

Students will be admitted to a six-week summer course that will facilitate the study-abroad opportunity. Six of those students will be chosen to travel to Cuba based on academic achievement, faculty recommendations and an essay about how the experience would enhance their educational and career goals. Those who remain in Orlando will edit and prepare stories sent by the students abroad for publication, as well as study intercultural communication topics.

鈥淭he benefits of such a program will likely go beyond the classroom and contribute to students鈥� communication and production skillsets for success post-graduation,鈥� said Robert Littlefield, professor of communication and director of NSC.

This future course expands a Hispanic media initiative that NSC added to help prepare students to serve the growing Hispanic community at 麻豆原创 and in the country. Initiatives include Knightly Latino, a course that focuses on the production of news content targeted at the Hispanic community, and a Hispanic/Latino Media Certificate, a first-of-its-kind in the state that launched this year.

NSC faculty felt it was important to add these options for students because 麻豆原创 is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution, a designation given by the U.S. Department of Education to entities that have at least 25 percent Hispanic/Latino student enrollment. Thirty percent of communication students at 麻豆原创 are Hispanic/Latino, according to grant proposal documents.

Plus, Coronado and Kight said collaboration with Cuba is important to help bridge a relationship that has had limited communication and access for decades.

The NSC-Universidad de Cienfuegos partnership began when faculty from the Cuban university visited Orlando last year and said they would love to further explore partnership opportunities, Coronado said. Beyond opportunities for students, the partnership also will give faculty members the chance to collaborate across cultures and universities.

To sustain this study-abroad opportunity long-term, NSC faculty and staff are looking to community partners to help fund the initiative.

鈥淲e would like to get the community and people who believe in this project involved to help us support it,鈥� Coronado said. 鈥淔or our students to work with students of communication in Cuba is a first. It鈥檚 historic. From a faculty鈥檚 perspective, this has already been a powerful experience, and I believe it will be for the students who come with us.鈥�

Their ultimate destination? The largest craniofacial treatment center in the world, Centrinho聽鈥� The Hospital for the Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies of the University of S茫o Paulo (part of the Bauru School of Dentistry).

From March 13-17, the students were immersed in treatment and therapies for children and adults with cleft lip and palate and hearing impairment. At this renowned center, they learned firsthand how these congenital anomalies and deafness not only affect physical appearance, but often lead to complications in the ability to hear, speak, eat and even breathe effectively.

Each morning, Centrinho’s waiting room was filled with children and their families who came from all over Brazil, a country about as large as the continental United States, for surgeries to close cleft palates or cleft lips, installation and adjustment of cochlear implants for hearing loss, therapy to restore the ability to speak intelligibly, and other specialized therapies and treatments. The 麻豆原创 team stayed in student housing and studied with USP students, accruing clinical hours in assessment and treatment of children with communication disorders.

As part of their preparation to become speech-language pathologists, the students participated in family-centered interventions, learned how to make ear molds, were involved in an intensive speech therapy program, observed inter- and transdisciplinary team interactions, and discussed evidenced-based research and its’ application in treatment. They worked together with Brazilian speech-language pathologists, audiologists, plastic surgeons, ENTs, dentists, psychologists, art educators, occupational therapists and social workers, and they had daily discussions to reflect on what they had learned.

“Every day that I participated in the USP study abroad, I became more enamored and passionate about the field of speech-language pathology,” said 麻豆原创 graduate student Kaira Clapper. “The students at USP in the Fonioaudiologia [speech therapy] program shared their knowledge and clinical strategies as we worked alongside them 鈥� and as communications disorders professionals, we shared common goals.”

Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, associate professor and director of the 麻豆原创 Listening Center, was the faculty leader and inspiration behind the trip. She partnered with Jeniffer Dutka, a faculty member with the speech therapy department and the craniofacial center at USP, who had been a colleague in Florida before returning to her native Brazil. She also partnered with Michelle Bourgeois from the University of South Florida, who brought seven undergraduate students on the adventure.

This study abroad experience was the culmination of years of work to finalize an affiliation agreement between the Bauru College of Dentistry at USP and 麻豆原创’s College of Health and Public Affairs to foster research collaboration and student exchange in communication sciences and disorders. Faculty members and students from both institutions are focusing their efforts on aphasia, craniofacial anomalies, and deafness and cochlear implants.

In recent years, USP sent two groups from Brazil to visit the college. The March 2017 program was the first time 麻豆原创 reciprocated, in part because the complexity and costs of the program were intensified since it was a clinical experience, which required supervision in accordance with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

“This program happened because a lot of people felt a commitment to student preparation, including the 麻豆原创 Global office” Rosa Lugo said. “Logistically, study abroad programs can be very challenging, and that commitment keeps you going.”

She noted that the program also contributed to two of 麻豆原创 President John Hitt’s key goals: provide international focus to our curricula and research programs, and be America’s leading partnership university.

Rosa-Lugo encourages all students to participate in a study abroad program, which can provide new insight and open their eyes to the potential of practicing their profession outside the United States.

“Students need to see the strengths of other countries,” she said. “They need to get out of their comfort zone, be open to new experiences and reflect on how those experiences are going to mold them not just professionally, but personally.”

Inspired by the success of this trip, Rosa-Lugo plans to bring more students to Brazil in the future so they, too, can expand their horizons.

The theme was 鈥淕et Smart, Get Connected.鈥� A total of 56 students attended and met with academic advisors from SSYC as well as to staff members from the Student Academic Resource Center, Career Services and Study Abroad.

Students had the opportunity to learn about valuable academic resources and strategies for academic success. A student panel discussed their prospective as to what helped them be successful in the Summer B session and following semesters. The panel also included an active question and answer session, followed by a very interactive Jeopardy game played by the students attending this session.

Refreshments were served and students earned 1,000 LINK points for attending. Students were also awarded prizes by entering into a raffle at the beginning of the event.

Comments included: 鈥淚 learned about Study Abroad opportunities for my major and how to attain tutoring services from SARC,鈥� and 鈥淕reat event! People were friendly and helpful,鈥� and 鈥淚 enjoyed the trivia game.鈥�

Bournemouth University has a growing population of 17,706 students and 2,000 international students from 100 countries. Situated in the center of the south coast, Bournemouth is a tourist destination located about two hours from central London by train or coach and about 1.5 hours from Heathrow Airport. Its relaxed beach lifestyle is the perfect setting for studying subject areas like hospitality, tourism, events, leisure, retail and sport.

Students will be able to attend Bournemouth University starting in Spring 2015.

For more information, please contact , Rosen College’s study abroad coordinator at Fazal.Jameer@ucf.edu.

The 18 participants met with police leaders, observed police demonstrations and visited justice facilities during the two-week program, held primarily in Gloucestershire and Cheshire counties and in London.

The experiences enabled them to compare policing in the U.K. with policing in the United States, said program leader Ross Wolf, an associate dean in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Health and Public Affairs and criminal justice faculty member.

In Gloucestershire and Cheshire, the students visited each county鈥檚 constabulary, or police department, where they observed demonstrations by police K9 teams and special response teams and learned about the U.K.鈥檚 latest approaches to crime.

Britain recently began electing a 鈥楶olice and Crime Commissioner鈥� to oversee policing in a defined police area, and the students had an opportunity to meet and talk with PCC John Dwyer of Cheshire, Wolf said.

The students also participated in a course on community policing at the University of Gloucestershire and met with police volunteers at the University of Chester.

In addition, they learned about the U.K.’s approach to justice.

鈥淎t the Crown Court in Gloucestershire, the students met with a sitting judge and asked questions about the differences in our judicial systems. Then they observed his courtroom in action. The judge even interrupted the proceedings聽to explain to the students what was happening,鈥� Wolf said.

In London, the聽students met with the London Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard. They also toured Parliament, the U.K.鈥檚 supreme legislative body, and attended a presentation on its history and workings.

鈥淭he students found many parts of the trip extremely interesting,鈥� Wolf shared. 鈥淚鈥檓 certain each and every one came home with a new perspective and hopefully will think about our policing and our criminal justice system in a different light.鈥�