At 6 years old, Emily Huang dreamed of seeing the world. By the time she was a junior at the George Washington University, she had studied on three continents—experiences that shaped not only how she sees the world but how she sees herself.
Through GW’s Global Bachelor’s Program, Huang explored international trade in Singapore, human rights and counterterrorism in Australia and, in Switzerland, what it means to find community when you feel like an outsider.
The program offers undergraduate students in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the Elliott School of International Affairs and the School of Business the opportunity to study abroad in three countries over three semesters. In the first cohort, students go to either Singapore or Ireland; after that, they have latitude to choose their destinations. Currently, 122 students are Global Bachelor’s scholars.
“There are not many schools in the world that will allow you to study in three continents in your undergraduate years,” Huang said. “To me, this is so spectacular.”
The junior, who is pursuing majors in international affairs and finance, is also among the more than 350 GW students who have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship since the program’s inception 25 years ago. The scholarship removes financial barriers to studying abroad, enabling students of all financial backgrounds the means to make the journey overseas.
“I hold so much love and gratitude for the Global Bachelor’s Program, the Study Abroad Office and the Gilman scholarship,” she said.
Huang’s first sojourn was to Singapore, a destination that aligned with her interest in global finance, international markets and the way economic systems connect countries.
“I’ve always been interested in how finance, markets and international affairs intersect across countries,” Huang said. “Singapore particularly interested me because of its position as one of Asia’s major financial and commercial centers and the role it plays in connecting global markets.”
The country’s cultural landscape immediately stood out to her.
“Singapore is unique in that it’s very much culturally Chinese,” Huang explained. “There’s a lot of Han Chinese people but also a lot of Malays and Indians. When I was visiting, I was fascinated with how they were able to integrate all these different cultures into a cohesive society.”
Huang next set her sights on (relatively) nearby Australia. Compared to the more intense culture of Singapore, she found Australia’s more laid-back lifestyle to be a breath of fresh air.
“It’s a very chill country,” Huang said. “There’s not too much societal expectation on what you should do or should not do. They just kind of let you live, and I think that’s beautiful.”
In Sydney, she embraced that independence. She juggled classes with a legal internship with the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and Counterterrorism. In that role, she researched racketeering and counterterrorism, including U.S. legislation related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), while preparing briefs and analyzing news sources.
Through this experience, Huang said she gained invaluable connections and skills, including the ability to think critically and apply her knowledge in real-world situations.
“Doing the research, I thought a lot about the systemic issues that affect human rights,” she said. “What exactly does counterterrorism mean? What is terrorism? How can we prevent it?”
The work also reshaped her understanding of global systems.
“I didn’t realize how everything was so interconnected,” Huang said. “When I was doing research, I realized a lot of human rights violations are the result of climate change. A disproportionate amount of people that are suffering from the climate crisis are people that are marginalized.”
Compared to her first two destinations, Huang’s decision to study in Switzerland was more spontaneous, as an image she found on Pinterest of a swan gliding across a lake captivated her. Learning the photograph was taken in Switzerland, she decided to apply to the University of Zurich. Although her adviser warned her the program was competitive, Huang applied anyway. She got in.
However, Switzerland presented a new kind of challenge. Surrounded by peers who appeared confident and accomplished, self-doubt crept in.
“Everyone knew how to ski, for example,” Huang said. “Everyone was a champion at something. I felt kind of out of place. Like, I don’t know my niche.”
This anxiety came to a head one day when, halfway up the slopes, Huang found herself crying in a restaurant, worried that her inexperience would slow down her peers. However, when she expressed these fears to her friends, she was met with kindness and understanding.
“I realized even in the places where I felt like a fish out of water, there was still community,” Huang said.
“Studying abroad taught me that home is not a place, but home is where you feel you can be yourself the most,” Huang said. “Home is the people you love, doing the things you care about, and being authentically yourself without any sort of external judgment.”
For Huang, this journey home ultimately starts within.
“I can always come back to myself and be grounded in who I am and what I believe in and what I value,” she said. “And through that, I was able to find people who align with that.”
The experience also helped clarify her professional goals, strengthening her interest in finance and business and in understanding how markets, institutions and global affairs intersect.
“I truly feel that GW’s education has given me the confidence and the grit to know I can be successful in any industry I choose and to follow through in anything that I choose my life to be like,” Huang said.
Now, she hopes her story will inspire other GW students to take a chance. “I want to let students know how important it is to open your eyes and study abroad, and how many resources there are for you at GW,” she said. “Studying abroad made me realize I can do anything.”
Inspired by Emily’s story and want to create your own Global Bachelor's Program story? Applications open on Oct. 29 for qualified first-year students. Learn more at the Global Bachelor's Application Kickoff event that day.
