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By Sarah Achenbach ’88

Moreno Gomez ’25 in Alicante

On Feb. 5, 1955, the S.S. Liberté departed New York City for Paris with Hollins students aboard. With varying degrees of fluency, a “crying towel” courtesy of Hollins College, and plenty of excitement and luggage, this wasn’t just a trans-Atlantic crossing. It was the launch of Hollins Abroad Paris (HAP) and the beginning of Hollins University’s 70-year legacy of global learning.

Since then, more than 3,500 alumnae/i have studied abroad, through a Hollins-sponsored program or with a partner organization — for a year, a semester, a summer, or a January-Term (J-Term). Global study isn’t just a meaningful addition to a Hollins education; it’s a hallmark of it. Living and learning in another country shapes students’ perspectives, deepens their understanding of the world, and fosters the confidence and curiosity that define Hollins graduates.

The Evolution of Study Abroad

A “crying towel” is typically a small handkerchief, towel, or novelty cloth given to someone feeling sorry for themselves. The origin is unclear, but the phrase appears in U.S. slang by the early 20th century, meaning “quit whining.”

Hollins’ study abroad experience began as a classroom-based, year-long program in Paris — an innovative step when international travel for women was rare. In 1975, Hollins added Hollins Abroad London (HAL), a semester-long program continuing the HAP model, with students living with host families for deeper cultural immersion.

Today, Hollins offers hands-on learning across 12 countries through 20 undergraduate programs spanning every continent except Antarctica. In 2006, the M.F.A. in dance added a three-week residency in Europe. Thirteen of the 20 current programs offer homestay, including J-Term language immersions.

“The field has shifted toward immersive, experiential learning, where students work with local communities and tackle real-world challenges through internships,” says Ramona R. Kirsch, director, global learning (GLO). “It’s about building intercultural competence and transferable skills that shape their personal, professional, and academic lives.”

Hollins now partners with 14 international organizations to expand access to study abroad, offering programs in more countries, robust student support, and full-credit transfer. In 2019, Hollins transitioned HAP to a partner-managed semester model, responding to declining interest in year-long programs. This shift allowed the university to maximize its investment in study abroad by increasing opportunities and support for students. HAL adopted the same partner-managed model a few years later.

Through these collaborations, students can study for a semester or J-Term at institutions such as Arcadia University in Italy, Greece, and Spain; Kansai Gaidai University in Japan; and Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, which became a partner via a two-year U.S. Department of State grant. Recent internships have included teaching and journalism roles in Saint-Lô, France, part of a collaboration between the French department, the Saint-Lô Institute, and the Roanoke Valley Sister Cities.

A Changing Landscape

Timia Jackson ’26

Year-long study abroad programs are increasingly rare as students balance academic requirements, finances, and personal responsibilities. Semester and J-Term programs are now more accessible and better aligned with students’ degree paths, especially for double majors or those with sequenced coursework.

Hollins has expanded J-Term travel offerings led by faculty, now a hallmark of global learning. These month-long experiences offer rich academic engagement and flexible timing. Thanks to generous scholarships and travel awards, Hollins is able to remove the barrier to participation for students with high financial need. As always, a student’s financial aid package travels with them.

Timia Jackson ’26, a film and English double major, spent spring semester 2025 in Osaka, Japan, through the partnership with Kansai Gaidai University. Hollins’ frequent seminars on studying abroad and access to travel scholarships made her dream of living in Japan a reality.

“All I had to do was pay my normal tuition, which was a relief,” she says. “Staying for six months really meant I got to live there and not just visit. When things go from new to routine, you’re no longer living life the way you used to.”

The Roots of Global Study

Gigi deManio ’88 in London

Global learning is deeply embedded in Hollins’ liberal arts tradition, echoing the Grand Tour of the 17th and 18th centuries. “Of course, those early tours were reserved for the privileged, primarily men, who traveled Europe to gain knowledge and cultural sophistication,” Kirsch explains. Today, Hollins opens those experiences to a broader, more inclusive community.

These traditional tours embodied core liberal arts values: intellectual curiosity, cultural fluency, critical thinking, and adaptability. They laid a foundation that was especially meaningful for women’s education 70 years ago and continues to resonate today. “For female leaders, learning abroad cultivates confidence, cross-cultural communication, and resilience,” Kirsch adds. “It equips them to navigate complex global landscapes and lead with insight, empathy, and impact.”

Many distinctions of Hollins’ earliest study abroad programs remain central today: living with host families, short immersive excursions, and the camaraderie of small group travel.

Developing a Worldview

No matter the destination or duration, studying abroad makes a lasting mark. For Leslie Lykes de Galbert ’72, it began with 12 months in Paris that included a 12-week European tour as part of the HAP program in 1970. Following graduation, the philosophy major moved back to Paris for her first job as a translator at the Pakistani embassy. “I was translating from French to English in the embassy of a South Asian Muslim country,” she says. “It was absolutely fabulous — more learning about different cultures and people.”

De Galbert has lived in Paris for 55 years, raising a family and building a career as a psychologist and psychoanalyst. A member of the C.G. Jung Institute in Zürich and a board member of Mind and Life Europe, she’s published articles and translations in French journals and is currently writing her first book, in English, on Western neuroscience and Eastern contemplative practices, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, to be published in 2026.

“I have always loved traveling, visiting new countries, hearing different languages, discovering, being bathed in history, learning about the world, and broadening horizons,” de Galbert says. “More than ever, I believe that in today’s world, Americans need to have experiences abroad. It’s just vital, even for a month or a summer.”

For Gigi de Manio ’88, an internationally known fine-art wedding and commercial photographer, studying abroad was a family tradition. While her twin sister Jackie de Manio Eberley ’88, mother Betsy Cragg de Manio ’66, and aunts Susan Cragg Ricci Stebbins Lincoln ’62 and Nancy Cragg Lincoln ’60 participated in HAP, de Manio’s choice of HAL unknowingly planted the seeds for her career.

“It was in London that I first discovered the world of art,” says de Manio, whose retrospective book, SILVER: Moments into Memories, was published this year. “Surrounded by museums, theater, and everyday street life, I began to understand the power of observation and storytelling. Our art history classes took place inside The National Gallery and the Tate, where we studied masterpieces in person rather than on slides, making the learning experience unforgettable.”

Tasha Bestrom ’18

Tasha Bestrom ’18 was drawn to a J-Term environmental science program because it blended science, nature, and the sea. In 2014, she joined a marine-biology, research-focused trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands with Environmental Studies Chair Renee Godard and Paula Pimlott Brownlee Professor Morgan Wilson (biology). Bestrom participated in the trip each January throughout her Hollins experience. She parlayed her passion for marine biology into the first-ever Hollins honors thesis on coral reefs, ultimately leading to a co-authored paper with Godard on endangered coral species, published in Caribbean Naturalist.

Inspired, Bestrom studied abroad again in Panamá and later earned her M.S. in marine and environmental science from the University of the Virgin Islands. “I already understood what it was like to appreciate a different culture and to be inquisitive about new things and embrace them,” she reflects. Today, Bestrom oversees the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Acropora Monitoring Program.

These transformations are what faculty hope for, says Tina Salowey, retired professor of classical studies, who has led J-Term trips to Greece since 1998 with Chris Richter, retired associate professor of communication studies, her travel partner and spouse. “Students learn a way of being in the world that’s untethered from the adults in their lives,” Salowey adds.

Expanding the Global Learning Map

When the Covid-19 pandemic brought global travel to a halt in March 2020, Hollins acted swiftly to return students home safely. During the travel pause, the university seized the opportunity to reimagine study abroad preparation and reflection.

In 2021, Hollins launched two new global learning courses: UNIV 101 Predeparture and UNIV 102 Reentry. These six-week courses are now required for all study abroad participants. UNIV 102 invites them to reflect on their experiences and align them with academic and professional goals. Through projects like visual “Diversity Diptych,” podcasts, or videos, students share their growth during the annual Experiential Learning Showcase, in collaboration with GLO and Career and Life Services.

“Study abroad has always been life-changing,” says Kirsch. “Now it’s more intentional — before students leave and after they return.”

Hollins is also expanding where and how students can go abroad. New offerings include a semester and J-Term program in Mexico, an interest of Hollins’ Spanish speakers with family roots there. GLO is exploring other locations to expand J-Term abroad experiences.

While Hollins maintains partnerships with dozens of institutions around the world, GLO also works closely with students seeking summer opportunities or those exploring programs beyond Hollins’ formal agreements. These pathways make study abroad more accessible, flexible, and customizable.

Closer to Home: Domestic Study Experiences

Not all students can or want to travel internationally, Kirsch notes. For them, Hollins has introduced study away programs within the U.S., providing immersive learning in diverse cultural settings. One example is the Puerto Rico study away program, which connects students with the island’s unique heritage and environmental challenges.

In addition, in January 2025, Hollins professors Wilson and Jon Guy Owens, director of the Hollins Outdoor Program, led the first-ever J-Term course titled “Wilderness and Wildlife: An Exploration of the Natural and Cultural History of Southeastern U.S.” Participants visited national parks, seashores, wildlife refuges, and designated wilderness areas of the southeastern U.S., taking a deep dive into wildlife conservation, natural and cultural history, and outdoor leadership.