Elizabethtown College Occupational Therapy major Grace Flocco ’25 recently earned a University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Internationalization Award for the impact she made as a student ambassador while studying abroad in Brighton, England during the Fall 2023 semester.
“Grace was the unanimous choice between both my office and USAC for her representation of Etown while she was abroad, her kindness to her classmates, and her commitment to her studies,” Elizabethtown College Study Abroad Advisor, Jaime Ramos said. “We hope that through this award Grace becomes an even more globally minded individual through her ambassadorship work with the USAC.”
Elizabethtown College Study Abroad Advisor Jaime Ramos (left) and Gracie Flocco ’25
The Internationalization Award is a selective award given to USAC study abroad alumni from specific universities chosen by the USAC. USAC provided Etown with the opportunity to award one USAC alumni from Etown with a $3,250 award, which was given to a student who made the biggest impact abroad through ambassadorship, advocacy, and genuine kind-heartedness. Flocco is the first Etown recipient of the award.
While Flocco was abroad, she participated in a social media takeover for the Etown Study Abroad’s Instagram account, which showcased her experience by giving an inside look at her daily life, including her transportation, flat, and travels outside of Brighton.
“It was fun to give people a glimpse into England’s culture,” Flocco said. “I also made sure to be actively involved in my classes. Many professors found American culture interesting, and it was important as an international student to help break the American stereotype.”
Flocco will represent USAC in the Fall 2024 semester as a student ambassador and will assist Etown’s Study Abroad Office to promote USAC study abroad programming. In her role, she will highlight her experience in the USAC study abroad programming and help provide interested students with a first-hand account of her time abroad.
“I was unsure about going abroad in the first place, but the support of my family and the Etown Study Abroad Office left me with no doubt that it was the right choice,” Flocco said. “I cannot wait to be a student ambassador for USAC and give students the support and confidence I know they have to go abroad.”
