World Scholars spend a semester of their first year studying in Greece, Italy, New Zealand or Spain.

Scholars of the World

Article by Diane Stopyra July 18, 2023

When Penelope Velasco, AS19, enrolled at UD, she knew she wanted to become—in her words—a “helpful person.”

But she admits to being naive. Until this point, the closest she’d come to giving back was buying shoes from a company that promised, with each purchase, a bit of investment into social causes. The Blue Hen wanted to serve the world in a more meaningful way, but she didn’t know her options.

And then she became a World Scholar.

This program, one of only a handful like it in the U.S., is a four-year framework for Blue Hens looking to internationalize their undergraduate careers. Through two study abroad experiences and a series of intercultural events and workshops on campus, students grow into global thinkers and communicators—people with a keen sense of civic and social responsibility. People set to thrive no matter where their hearts or careers may lead.

World Scholars in New Zealand

“We owe it to the individual participants who have these very real goals,” says Amy Greenwal Foley, EHD13EdD, director of global outreach and partnerships. “We owe it to our community, because these students enrich every aspect of it. And we owe it to the world. It’s imperative that we graduate people who can help solve humanity’s greatest challenges.”

Since its launch in 2015, the invitation-only program has enrolled 759 students. These Blue Hens have studied indigenous ecotourism in New Zealand, culturally competent education in Barbados, immigration in Denmark. And they’ve joined forces with peers from all over the world—right in Newark—to share everything from fashion trends to perspectives on the state of global democracy. With each picnic and presentation, they leave with greater understanding of a world that, turns out, isn’t so big after all.

World Scholar Penelope Velasco, AS19, far left, spent time teaching English in France with fellow Blue Hens Megan Bahnson, AS19, and Devon Grant, HS19.

For Velasco, it was coming together over a Turkish dinner table on campus—complete with traditional singing and dancing—that opened her eyes to one pathway for serving the world in that meaningful way she’d envisioned.

Following graduation, she joined the first cohort of National Health Corps, an Americorps program, in Delaware. As the community engagement coordinator, Velasco organized mobile food pantries to provide meals for the state’s most vulnerable. Now a graduate student in Colorado, she’s focused on advancing food sovereignt around the world—a field necessary for environmental and cultural health.

“I feel so lucky to have been a World Scholar,” Velasco says. “I learned the tools for empowering and uplifting communities in need. Now, I advocate for the program to incoming Blue Hens. I want to keep this legacy alive.”