Study abroad at UVA is strong in general—and growing. The Open Doors report placed UVA at #15 for total number of students studying abroad, UVA’s highest placement yet, up from #21 in the 2023 rankings. This reflects President Jim Ryan’s goal for all undergraduate students to have the opportunity for at least one international experience before they graduate, part of building Citizen-Leaders for the 21st Century, one of the key initiatives in The 2030 Plan.

“Our ultimate aim for our students is to prepare them to be productive servant-leaders in a diverse, globally connected world, regardless of their careers or professions,” states the Plan. The 2025 J-Term Travel Grant and J-Term grant has allowed a new cohort of students to get to know that diverse, globally connected world in new and previously unanticipated ways. UVA Global spoke with three of the travel grant recipients about their experiences abroad this winter.

Exploring Heritage in the Mexican Capital

Gonzalez found that, in contrast to the preconceptions that she encountered about the city before her departure, when she arrived, she felt safer than ever.

Gonzalez was struck by how though Mexican society had incorporated Catholicism, which was imposed by the Spanish during centuries of colonial rule, pre-colonial ancestral rituals were also embedded into the religious practice. 

When visiting the pyramids at Teotihuacán, an archaeological site near Mexico City where an ancient Mesoamerican city used to be, Gonzalez was touched by a couple of skeletons. The skeletons were called “The Lovers” because when they were excavated, they were found together in an embrace. This moved Gonzalez as it spoke of the endurance of love and compassion across the ages.

Following this experience, Gonzalez is eager to find a way to return to Mexico City to live. “I would love the opportunity to improve my Spanish, especially since all my relatives speak it exclusively. Beyond language, I see it as a chance to connect more deeply with people, share my experiences, and foster mutual understanding.” She concluded by reflecting on her own experiences feeling like an outsider in the US, emphasizing the importance of mutual understanding and how she hopes to use her international experiences to bridge the gaps she sees between people of different backgrounds in the US today.

Questioning Preconceptions in the Middle East

Although he had travelled internationally before, this was Smith’s first experience studying abroad.

One of the most impactful highlights of the trip for Smith was meeting the local shop-owners in the markets of Amman. “The experience of walking through the bustling streets surrounded by novel sights, sounds, and smells was pleasantly intoxicating; it felt incredibly surreal,” he said. “On top of this, shopkeepers were very friendly and interactive with us foreign customers—even more so when I began to speak Arabic with them! It was here in these streets and stores where I felt I received one—of many—very authentic Jordanian experiences.”

Smith said that this experience significantly impacted his plans for the future. He already planned to participate in another UVA study abroad program to Morocco this summer. His experiences in Jordan convinced him even more. “Not every country is the same, but given the fun I had, and self-reflection my Jordanian experience provided, I feel confident and much more likely to participate in another study abroad program,” he reported.

Envisioning Sustainable Futures in Scandinavia

Berhanu entered the course wondering about how to bring individuals, businesses, and governments to prioritize the environment before short-term profits. She was inspired by what she found. “In the US, we usually view this investment and ESGs as 'fads' or tedious compliance measures, but Sweden and Denmark believe otherwise,” she said. “The personal concern goes right through a collective commitment for biodiversity and climate resilience while maintaining their quality of life, and I was interested to see how I could bring this back to the US.”

Towards the end of the program, the class took a trip to Copenhagen's Amager Bakke, a cutting-edge heat and power waste-to-energy plant that doubles as a recreational facility. “Many people, me included, prefer to not discuss the realities of waste management, but it is a pressing issue as global waste generation continues to rise,” said Berhanu. “Entering the facility was memorable for multiple reasons. First, to be honest, I had much trouble keeping it together as someone sensitive to smells. Yet, this doesn't take away from the amazing work they're doing.”

Berhanu explained that by converting waste to electricity, Amager Bakke tackles two major problems without the large-scale emission of greenhouse gases seen in other incinerators, earning themselves the title of the cleanest incineration plant in the world. The visit reinforced for her the relevance of tackling sustainability through creativity and innovation, while also encouraging people to recognize their own role and responsibility in the process.

Berhanu also reported that the trip opened her eyes to the possibility of living and working abroad. “Exploring how different nations approach sustainability made me realize that I don't have to trade my aspirations to travel for my career.”