Florida State University is ramping up its efforts to help first-generation college students participate in study abroad programs, offering new resources and targeted support. These initiatives coincide with the university’s annual Celebration of International Education and its participation in the national First-Generation College Celebration Nov. 5-12.
A centerpiece of this expansion is the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement’s (CARE) new Global Learning Community, a cohort-based program launching in Summer 2026.
Led by instructional specialist Emily Leyava, the program will send 10 CARE students to South Africa for eight weeks of internships, Zulu language classes and cultural immersion. The initiative is designed to lower barriers for first-generation students, who often face financial and informational hurdles when considering international experiences.
“We will be working with financial aid to see what opportunities are available to our students, including experiential learning grants and private donations,” said Leyava, who will accompany the group as faculty leader. “We don’t want cost to be prohibitive.”
The program includes a preparatory spring course on global citizenship and international higher education, followed by an immersive summer experience. Students will be matched with internships in sectors like public health, community development and education, and will participate in weekly debriefs, reflective journaling and excursions outside of their home base in the coastal city of Durban.
“We want our students graduating, going into the job market, going to grad school, whatever they want to do,” Leyava said. “We want to offer them every opportunity possible.”
The Global Learning Community is coordinated with and supported by FSU International Programs, which operates three study centers in London, Valencia and Florence, a regional branch campus in the Republic of Panama, and faculty-led programs in places such as Croatia, Costa Rica, France, Switzerland, and more.
“We understand the importance of providing intentional and creative ways to support first-gen students who wish to have an international experience,” said Interim Director of International Programs Louisa Blenman. “We are so pleased that our first partnership with CARE helps us diversify the locations offered by International Programs. Further, this partnership is a vivid demonstration of a transformative program coming to fruition through collaborations among several divisions of the university.”
Funding opportunities such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, the Tyler Center for Global Studies Fellowship, FSU International Programs scholarships and other resources both across FSU’s campus and externally can help first-generation students defray costs associated with studying abroad.
Yasmeen Masanti, a senior dance student, studied in Paris through FSU’s Dance in Paris summer program, a four-week immersive experience for dance majors. She said scholarships, including a Gilman Scholarship, made her trip possible.
“Having the opportunity to dance in Paris and seeing the French culture was a completely different experience than I’ve ever had,” she said.
Masanti spent her time taking dance and film classes, exploring the city, attending performances and living at Cité Universitaire, a student housing complex bustling with international students.
“I went to the Eiffel Tower quite a lot because as a kid, I always dreamed about seeing the Eiffel Tower,” she said. “It was just so magical.”
Masanti credits the CARE Summer Bridge Program for helping her adjust to college and find a community. “I don’t know if I would have still been at FSU if I hadn’t been in the CARE program,” she said.
Tafari D’Aguilar, a mechanical engineering student and Presidential Scholar, attended John Cabot University in Rome through FSU’s Global Exchange Programs, partially funded by the Gilman Scholarship.
“Before FSU, I didn’t know what studying abroad meant. I couldn’t imagine affording it,” D’Aguilar said. “It was a culture shock at first. It was my first time out of the country, and I was alone.”
But he quickly settled in, befriending his roommates and balancing rigorous engineering courses with adventures across the city and broader Italy.
“We walked cobblestone roads, ate local food and traveled,” D’Aguilar said. “We visited the Pantheon, Vatican City and Milan. One highlight: I canoed in a volcanic crater. It was incredible.”
The experience, he said, was empowering: “Before, I feared traveling alone, but now I know I can handle it. Once you know you can handle it, there’s no stopping you.”
FSU’s Celebration of International Education runs through Dec. 5.
For more information about how Florida State University supports first-generation students and available resources, visit firstgen.fsu.edu.