Studying abroad is as much a part of University of Mary Washington culture as bench-sitting or playing Frisbee on Ball Circle. One-third of each graduating class – about 300 students – spends time learning overseas. Not this year. As COVID-19 continues to sweep the globe, international travel – like commencements, reunions and all large gatherings […]
Jose Sainz
Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteer Vows to Continue Global Service
For Peace Corps volunteer Sebrine Abdulkadir ’19, posted in the southern African country of Botswana, the upheaval happened fast. On a Monday morning in mid-March, she received an email saying she and other Peace Corps volunteers worldwide would be evacuated from their posts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In three hours Abdulkadir packed what possessions […]
UMW Goes Global as Peace Corps Top Producer
Teenage boys can be a handful, no matter which country or culture they come from. Amal Hajjami learned that fact within her first few weeks of Peace Corps training in Morocco, when the 2019 alumna encountered a young man who refused to participate or follow the rules – when he even bothered to show up […]
UMW to Offer Japanese Language Courses
Spending a semester in Japan, UMW senior Kaitlin Viloria was in a shop when a young woman asked her a question. The woman spoke no English and Viloria’s Japanese was limited, but they still managed to strike up a conversation. Viloria wishes she was more proficient, she said, “but in that moment, I was proud […]
Lacrosse Player Scores Big With Study Abroad
For Bobby Leytham ’18, a single semester in Spain was a game-changer. Now a software consultant for a powerhouse company in Bilbao and a player on Spain’s national men’s lacrosse team, Leytham is living his dream, said UMW Professor of Spanish Jose Sainz. A bachelor’s degree in business administration and four years’ experience as a […]
