DECATUR, Ill. – For Millikin University Tabor School of Business Dean RJ Podeschi, international travel has become an impactful part of his life, and he plans on making it just as important for some of the school’s business students through the new Tabor Global Scholars (TGS) program.
“When I look back at my college experience, the one regret I have is that I didn’t choose to study abroad. It wasn’t something I thought was valuable or even possible until after graduation,” Podeschi said. “A two-week backpacking trip with my college roommate transformed me. Since graduation, international travel has allowed me to be a more globally aware citizen, it has taught me that we have more in common than we have differences, and it’s connected me to my family roots.”
The program will allow a small group of first-year Tabor students the opportunity to travel and study internationally. The program includes a paid international trip at the end of the student’s first year as part of a spring course taught by Tabor School of Business faculty.
After completing their international experience, students will remain a part of the Tabor Global Scholars program and serve as ambassadors for visiting Millikin’s international students, mentoring other Millikin students who wish to study abroad, and assisting the Center for International Education (CIE) with international programming.
For many students, a study abroad experience is often completed as a junior or senior, but with the TGS program, Podeschi hopes to aid those international experiences much earlier.
“Engaging in education abroad at the end of the first year allows for students to come back transformed, see the world through a different lens, and have an impact on campus, which isn’t as possible later in the undergraduate experience,” he said. “This hopefully inspires TGS to study abroad again for a longer period of time in their junior or senior year and inspire their classmates to do the same.”
To be eligible for TGS, first-year, first-time college who have a minimum 3.2 unweighted high school GPA with a declared major within the Tabor School of Business (Accounting, Agribusiness, Business Communication, Communication, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Finance, International Business, Organizational Leadership, Management, and or Management Information Systems).
Successful applicants will demonstrate genuine curiosity and interest in global citizenship, interacting with other cultures, and having the potential to give back to the community. Special consideration will be given to students who have not traveled or studied abroad previously, and students from underrepresented populations.
Tabor Global Scholars will also receive an additional $1,000 scholarship on top of their financial aid package for all four years.
TGS students may also be eligible for the Honors Program, but it is not a prerequisite, and students can be a part of both programs.
Please visit the Tabor Global Scholars webpage for complete requirements and application timetable.
The Tabor Global Scholars program is being supported through the generosity of donors. Millikin aims to raise a minimum of $400,000 endowment, which would support five students and one faculty member. The long-term goal is to support a cohort of up to 10 students. To date, almost $250,000 has been raised to support this program in addition to funding for the first two years. Individuals are invited to support this program by donating HERE.
