Trang Nguyen ’27 wasn’t sure what to expect during her freshman year at the University of Georgia. She certainly didn’t anticipate getting to spend a week exploring Moroccan cities and riding a camel through the Sahara Desert alongside other freshmen and UGA faculty. But last month, she found herself doing all that and more.
Were it not for the generosity of a group of donors organized around the same time Nguyen was admitted to UGA, she and 19 other students might not have had this experience.
Georgia Women Give, one of UGA’s most successful fundraising initiatives, celebrated its one-year anniversary with an on-campus event on March 21 and 22. That event culminated with a luncheon that brought together GWG donors and students like Nguyen who participated in Connect Abroad, a new study abroad program for first-year students. The program, which is the first beneficiary of GWG’s campus priorities fund, held its inaugural trips during this year’s spring break.
“I am more than grateful for these Connect Abroad opportunities and the support we received from Georgia Women Give. It has allowed me a chance to explore a completely new world, to significantly expand my mindset and to be more culturally aware and culturally knowledgeable,” Nguyen said at the event.