It pays to plan ahead, and Marlene’s $18,000 in scholarships proves it.
Marlene received more than $18,000 in study abroad scholarships for her spring 2025 semester in Seoul, Korea, including the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the USAC Access Partner Scholarship through the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA). After spending her freshman and sophomore years applying for funding and writing what felt like endless essays, the awards helped turn studying abroad from a long-time goal into something she could actually make happen.
From scholarships to Seoul: Marlene’s semester of firsts
For Marlene, her semester in Korea became real somewhere between saying goodbye to her family at Chicago O’Hare and seeing the welcome signs at Incheon Airport. It was her first time outside the U.S., and suddenly she was figuring out a new city, school system, language, and daily routine on her own. During her first week, she learned Seoul’s public transportation, moved into her dorm, got her residence card, shopped for groceries, and started classes. As the semester went on, she attended her first concert, explored pop-ups, and found plenty of inspiration in the design and visual culture around her.
Seoul also gave Marlene a new way to think about her design work. Two of her professors at Kookmin University in Seoul made such an impact on her, that she stayed in touch with them after returning home. Her senior art project at AugustanaCollege, shows just how impactful her semester was. The project, “Harmony and Contrast: Cultural Identity in Music-Inspired Design,” explores American and Korean design styles and the ways the two approach elements such as typography, color, and visual rhythm. The finished project is available on Augustana’s website.
“Being able to try many things out of your comfort zone is a privilege.”
Reflecting on her experiences in an article published by the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA), Marlene wrote, “Being able to try many things out of your comfort zone is a privilege.” That mindset stayed with her throughout her semester in Korea. Living in Seoul pushed her to do more on her own, talk to new people, ask for help when she needed it, and get more comfortable figuring things out as she went.
Marlene came home from Seoul more independent, more confident in her design work, and with perspective that continues to influence what she creates. As she put it, “Another version of me was created here.” For a semester that once felt more like a dream than a plan, that’s a pretty big payoff.
If cost is the thing making study abroad feel out of reach, start with the funding. Explore USAC scholarships and discounts to see what options could help make your own semester abroad possible.
