Feature

Passport to Learn

By Vickie Chachere | USF News

When USF student Thu Can applied to the Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholars Fund, there was no question she was exactly the kind of student who inspired the program. Can, a double major in English and biomedical sciences, is focused, curious and goal-oriented.

The Passport Scholars Fund was established with a $1 million endowment from USF's First Couple as a way to support and encourage students across the USF System to expand their education through study abroad and service learning opportunities.

Can, who aspires to be a doctor, was awarded the program's first scholarship in May. Weeks later, she traveled to Costa Rica, determined to learn to speak Spanish. Living with a host family, she totally immersed herself in the new language and culture.

It was a life-changing experience, Can says, not just learning a new language but seeing firsthand the desperate conditions facing street people and encountering moments of kindness.

It was the kind of learning experience the Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholars Fund is all about.