While most Wabash students returned to campus burdened by snowy weather and frigid temperatures, some began semesters abroad in countries all over the globe. One such student is J.J. Lancaster ’26. Lancaster won a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, a federally-funded and nationally competitive financial awards, to study abroad in Santiago, Dominican Republic, which will help further his study of Spanish, a language he has already excelled at in his studies at Wabash.
“J.J. has a good aptitude for Spanish, but he really goes above and beyond what’s expected for a class,” said Jane Hardy, Associate Professor of Spanish at Wabash and Lancaster’s advisor. “He looks for videos and music in Spanish, and then he will learn the lyrics to the songs. He also looks for people he can interact with. He’s what in language acquisition circles we would call a ‘high-input generator.’”
In fact, it was his efforts outside the typical classwork that opened Lancaster’s eyes to study abroad opportunities, and motivated him to look for a program in the Caribbean, a place he immediately gravitated toward because of the rich culture. An interest in culture is also what focused his attention on the Dominican Republic; its rhythmic music, vibrant dancing and smooth accent were especially attractive to him.
But despite Lancaster’s growing mastery of Spanish and his clear love of Caribbean life, it was not a foregone conclusion that his desire to study abroad would come to fruition. After a study abroad program in Chile fell through and finding no programs available in Puerto Rico, Lancaster thought he may be out of luck. But after hearing about the Gilman Scholarship, which could guarantee funding to make a semester in the Dominican Republic possible, Lancaster was determined.
“My first thought was, ‘Ok, I’m gonna win this thing,’” said Lancaster
Lancaster focused his application on telling a story, expanding not only on his passion for the Spanish language and Dominican culture, but also going into detail about how, if he won, he could come back to the United States and encourage younger students to pursue study abroad. Additionally, Lancaster tied in his personal goals to connect further with elements of his Latino identity.
“I’m actually part Latino,” said Lancaster. “I don’t really talk about it because I was never connected to that part of my family, and so I feel like language is a way for me to get some connection with that other part of my identity.”
Though it can be difficult to communicate one’s motivations and purpose for going abroad, Gilman’s application process required Lancaster to plumb deep into his reasoning for going abroad and communicate that through short essays. His rationale had to be deeper than just wanting to spend a semester in a new country, and Lancaster communicated that especially well, said Wabash Fellowship Advisor Susan Albrecht, who has helped thirty Wabash men secure Gilman Scholarships since 2016.
“JJ was true to who he is and what he wants,” said Albrecht. For the Gilman, it is important that you detail the specific reasons you’ve chosen your study abroad destination, and that you show what kind of representative of America you want to be while abroad in addition to what it is you want to learn about the local culture, history and language while you’re there. J.J. really did a nice job with all of that.”
With his scholarship in tow, Lancaster arrived in the Dominican Republic on January 1 and has begun living up to the aspirations he outlined in his application. On top of enjoying Dominican cuisine, coping with locals’ hectic driving practices and participating in a dance class – salsa is an excellent way to get cardio in, he said – Lancaster is taking the opportunity to immerse himself fully in Spanish. He asked his host family to speak to him exclusively in Spanish, and spoke glowingly of conversing with fellow gym-goers, even when his brain was tired. Getting better is part of the fun, both in Crawfordsville and Santiago.
“It’s like a puzzle to me, a game,” said Lancaster. “I like to play the game of learning Spanish, specifically Caribbean Spanish. It feels like I’m playing chess, trying to connect the dots.”
Lancaster’s experience reflects the greatest assets of study abroad. He is expanding his language skills, but also expanding his understanding of culture and taking on new perspectives. The chance to see the world in a new light is part of why Hardy encourages all students to travel abroad if at all possible.
“I want to encourage every student to find a way to go abroad,” said Hardy. “Even if you can’t go abroad for a semester, we’ve got some summer scholarships, scholarships for summer study abroad or at the very least look for a course with an immersion trip abroad. Get a passport and use it.”
And students shouldn’t count themselves out of scholarships that make it more financially viable to study abroad, Lancaster urged.
“I feel like anybody can do it,” he said. “I know it’s a pretty competitive scholarship and it’s hard to get, but I think if you put in time and the mental strength to actually sit there and think about what you want to do, anybody can win it. And if you don’t win it, don’t stop looking for other scholarships.”
Despite setbacks, Lancaster ultimately reached his goal through persistence and a passion for the language he was learning and the culture he wanted to learn first-hand. His reward? Mid-eighties and sun, all winter long.