Vazquez joins Education Abroad program in Montpellier, France

Place de la Comédie (Comédie Opera House) in Montpellier

September 4, 2015 by Erin Chambers

Photo of Jessica Vazquez. Credit: University Honors ProgramEnglish and Film Studies major Jessica Vazquez embarks this month on a semester-long education abroad trip to Montpellier, France. While in Montpellier, she will be studying at the Université Paul Valéry (Montpellier III), taking courses to immerse herself in the French language and pursuing an internship. The trip is sponsored by the University of Minnesota's Learning Abroad Center, and is made available to University of Nebraska students through the Education Abroad Office.

Her internship, which is assigned on arrival, will most likely take place at one of two organizations: the Auberge de Jeunesse, or youth hostel, or Montpellier's film festival, Festival du Cinéma Méditerranéen. "Either one of these internships will complement the skills and interests I’ve pursued here in Lincoln," Vazquez writes, "which I hope to refine at an international level."

The question of financial aid is an important one for students pursuing opportunities abroad. As a DREAMER, Vazquez is able to obtain work permits and reside legally in the U.S., but is barred from certain types of financial assistance. DREAMERS are unable to apply for government-funded scholarships, student loans, or FAFSA assistance, which means that all financial support for collegiate DREAMERs must come from private funds and private scholarships.  Vazquez persisted in the face of these obstacles and focused on applying to scholarships that met her criteria and counted her as eligible. She has been awarded three of the scholarships to which she applied through the Education Abroad Office - The Global Internship Award, the Edythe Weibers International Studies Program Scholarship, and the Basic Scholarship Application; received a two-year scholarship through UNL’s UCARE program (UCARE supervisor: Professor Marco Abel); and has also set up a GoFundMe page.

Stay tuned to our English Abroad page for more students' education abroad experiences. Undergraduates interested in Education Abroad opportunities in English and Film Studies can schedule an appointment with the English Advising Office to see how a program abroad can fit their degree, or visit the Education Abroad Website to learn more.