Jordann Barrow expected a Terry education would take her places. She didn’t necessarily think her business studies would land her aboard a trans-Pacific flight to Seoul, South Korea.
“I have a big family, so I was not able to do much traveling by plane before (college),” said Barrow, a fourth-year marketing major from McDonough. “So I was very excited!”
Barrow participated in Terry’s Business in South Korea trip — a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity — thanks to the Lisa Sarajian Study Abroad Scholarship, created by Sarajian (BBA ’82), a retired finance professional. The award is part of Passport Terry, an initiative aiding the college’s effort to broaden student participation in its various study away programs, including trips to Europe, Chile, Mexico, Tanzania and Canada, among other destinations.
Over the past five years, the number of students served by the Passport Terry program has grown more than 300% — from 18 to 56 students per funding year. That number will increase again during the 2022-2023 funding year as the Terry College Office of International Business streamlines the application process for travel scholarships. This fall, students applying for a study away program through Terry College are automatically considered for a Passport Terry Scholarship.
“Terry is committed to making international business education a part of every student’s UGA experience,” said Jennifer Chapman, director of Terry College’s International Business Programs. “We’ve made great strides in recent years thanks, in large part, to our donors. Without Passport Terry scholarships, many of our students simply do not have the resources to study or intern abroad.”
Terry College IB Programs runs 14 study away programs in South and North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as domestic field study programs focusing on the international connections to Georgia’s economy. Terry supports 15 student exchange programs with international universities and internship programs in Chile, Germany and South Korea. Passport Terry Scholarships can defer the costs of all these opportunities.
International experience gives students an advantage as they enter the global job market. “Working across cultures has become an expected competency at many large companies,” Chapman said. That’s true for Terry’s 280 or so international business co-majors but also for students such as Barrow, who haven’t decided to pursue an international business co-major.
During the summer program, Barrow had a couple of marketing internships, gained a feel for East Asian business culture and learned a bit more about her ideals and aspirations.
“As I’m applying for jobs, I have a better understanding of what kind of work I do and don’t want to do in my career,” she said.
Another Sarajian scholarship recipient, Bushra Huque, planned to study abroad in 2020. Then COVID happened. With her global study plan wiped out by the pandemic, Huque thought the opportunity to learn abroad passed her by — until she heard about Passport Terry.
“I was at a point where many of the study abroad (programs) did not offer courses I needed, and this scholarship allowed me to pick one that would help me advance in my college career,” said Huque, a fourth-year management information systems major from Woodstock.
“The most rewarding experience was visiting cool companies like Hyundai and Samsung and getting a VIP tour, which they don’t give out to just anyone,” she said. “It was super educational and (held) all my classmates’ attention because we got to see a lot of behind-the-scenes magic.”
In addition, Huque said the trip energized her entrepreneurial spirit.
“In 10 years, I hope to be running my own business and use all the knowledge I learned from all the startups and small businesses we met in South Korea to help guide and further my business,” she said. “I hope to be an inspiration to others that you can have fun in life while working for what you strive for.”
Barrow plans to pay it forward after graduating by serving as a guide and mentor to younger students. “Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to participate in the program,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to learn about myself and other cultures and will guide me in my career.”
Passport Terry Scholarships are supported by many stakeholders and alumni donors. For more information on supporting the Passport Terry Scholarship Program, visit www.terry.uga.edu/alumni/support-terry.