International & Domestic Programs Student Stories

Melisa Morales Perez realized that studying abroad had changed “more than my understanding of the world; it had changed my understanding of myself.”

When Chiu-Mi Lai ’83 boarded a train in Hong Kong bound for mainland China in 1981, she carried more books than luggage. More than four decades later, she and her husband, David Mohrig ’83, have honored the professor who made that journey possible.

In Pomona College Global Gateways classes, students studied movement in the history and the arts of the Weimar Republic during three weeks in Berlin, while others looked at issues surrounding diplomacty and human rights in Brussels and Morocco. 

A record 110 Pomona College students spent the fall 2025 semester studying abroad. Sagehens participated in 33 programs in 26 countries, their time abroad equal parts exhilarating, challenging and transformative.

From taking economics lessons in Mexico to meeting husbands in Egypt, dive into a range of stories of Pomona students immersing themselves in other cultures.

Fernando Lozano, Morris B. And Gladys S. Pendleton Professor of Economics, and Karla Cordova, visiting assistant professor of economics, and 12 Pomona students traveled to Oaxaca and Mexico City for as part of Pomona’s third Global Gateways program.

While many college students flock to Hawaii over spring break for rest and relaxation, 10 Pomona students spent their week on the island of Oahu dissecting albatross, searching for invasive snails and restoring a traditional Hawaiian fishpond. 

While studying abroad had been a dream of mine for years, I rarely envisioned it to mean living with three kids, one host mom, one roommate, and one dog. 

The chance to study at Swarthmore has shown me that Pomona’s philosophy of Promise in the Place is a lesson to take with me beyond the West Coast.

Gilman Scholarships are helping to ease the financial burden of study abroad for several Pomona College students this spring semester. After their return, they will help other students plan to study abroad as well.