Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship Fund
Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Living Tribute to Alice Rowan Swanson, Amherst College '07, SIT Study Abroad '06

This $100,000 fellowship fund established by the family of SIT Study Abroad Nicaragua ’06 alumna Alice Rowan Swanson, is a living tribute to Alice’s life, her passion for bridging cultures and helping others and the role that SIT Study Abroad played in her life. An Amherst ‘07 graduate, Alice was killed while riding her bike to work in 2008.

Alice’s family believes that Alice would have spent her life working for human rights abroad, particularly in developing countries. This fund will annually award fellowships to SIT program alumni who would like to return to the country of their program to pursue further development projects that benefit human rights in that region.

Please email questions to alumni@worldlearning.org. To download the application, click here. 

To be eligible, you must:

1. Have participated on an SIT Study Abroad program
2. Have qualities resembling Alice which, in her family's words, include:
• intelligence and passion for learning;
• great warmth and friendliness;
• a smiling, welcoming personality;
• sharp intellectual rigor and fine writing;
• an adventurous desire to experience untraditional locations.
3. Posess experiences and future plans that give evidence of an active interest
   in world affairs and have a clear purpose for how the project abroad experience
   relates to your future goals.

There is no age limitation. Preference will be given to recent alumni who have completed their program within the last five years, and who have not yet returned to their host country. 

Applications will be reviewed twice annually, on March 1st and October 1st. March applicants must plan to begin their project between June and December of the same year. October deadline applicants must begin their project between January and and May of the following year.

With rare exceptions, awards will not exceed $5,000. Joint applications are not accepted.

To download an application form, click here.

Email completed applications to alumni@worldlearning.org.