In the summer of 2022, Elijah Ward (C’26) was at the airport bound for Quito, Ecuador. It was his first time on an airplane, and he was ready for the moment. He had watched many YouTube videos on how to navigate airports and security lines.
Once on the plane, he journaled about feeling immense pride at how far he’d come.
“I just felt proud that I made it here and that this was something I was able to do and that I knew I could do even more,” Ward said.
For Ward, studying abroad was never a guarantee as a first-generation college student. But through Georgetown programs that offered him scholarships, informational resources and community support, Ward felt confident that he could study abroad and make the most of his Georgetown education.
Now, as he prepares to graduate, Ward will leave the Hilltop after having studied abroad four times in Ecuador, Spain, Chile and Mexico.
“If I hadn’t gone to Georgetown, this wouldn’t have been nearly as possible or even something I would’ve been interested in,” he said. “[The support] is what made me feel confident that I can do this, that there are resources to make it possible for all students.”
Developing an Interest in Spanish
Ward grew up in small town America, spending much of his life in Front Royal, Virginia, and Hershey, Pennsylvania. Coming from a low-income family, traveling abroad was never on the table, he said.
He took basic Spanish classes in high school, but it wasn’t until he came to Georgetown that he discovered his love for the Spanish-speaking world.
In his first-year Spanish class, Ward discovered the Georgetown in Quito: Nature and Culture in Latin America program. The six-week program offers Hoyas a Spanish immersion experience while learning literature, nature and culture at an Ecuadorian university. Ward applied and saw it as an opportunity to travel abroad for the first time and dive into Spanish.
In Ecuador, Ward lived with a host family and took courses at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. He also visited the Galapagos Islands and spent a week in a rainforest as part of a nature and culture class.
When he returned to Georgetown for his sophomore year, Ward wanted to continue his education beyond the classroom.
“I liked being a student beyond the gates of Healy. It’s always been important to bring my education into a different space,” he said.
To get that experiential education, Ward spent his sophomore year at the Capitol Campus as part of the Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL) program. In the CALL, Ward took a class that explored the history and ethnic roots of neighborhoods in DC. He visited these neighborhoods and engaged with El Salvadoran, Honduran, Venezuelan and other Latin American communities in DC, learning about their local history and culture and deepening his fascination with the Spanish-speaking world.
He also honed his language skills by working part-time at a tapas restaurant in DC while learning more about Spanish cuisine.
“We live in a country that has a lot of Spanish speakers. It’s one way to bridge gaps,” he said. “That’s why I’ve studied abroad in so many places that speak Spanish because it allows me to get more perspectives and pick up Spanish that’s way different in different areas because it represents the people who live there.”
Trekking Across the Spanish-Speaking World
After his first experience abroad, Ward wanted to explore the Spanish-speaking world more. On a boat cruising through an Ecuadorian rainforest, Ward learned about Georgetown’s study abroad program in Barcelona. He immediately wanted to enroll and spend his next summer in Spain.
“Vacations are cool, but doing a program where I’m learning something and comprehending things differently is something that is invaluable and why these programs were so enticing,” he said.
Ward spent his summer in Barcelona and studied the role of bilingualism in the Spanish city. He also took classes in Catalan art and history, which included excursions into areas around Barcelona and the wider Catalonia region.
When Ward returned for his junior year, he spent almost all of the following academic year in Latin America.
He started his fall semester in Arizona, observing immigration courts and the U.S.-Mexico border. He then headed to Oaxaca, Mexico, studying and researching migration issues as part of a program with the School for International Training.
He followed that up with the spring semester abroad in Santiago, Chile, studying at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. In Chile, he took classes in advanced Spanish language and Latin American music and history.
“The biggest thing studying abroad gave me is that I can thrive anywhere and live in new environments and overcome all the challenges that are there,” he said. “That’s something super important to me, that wherever comes at me, I’m able to adapt and make something meaningful out of it.”
Making Study Abroad Possible
When Ward visited Georgetown for the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program (GAAP) Weekend, he felt like there would be endless opportunities for him as a Hoya.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but that possibility for me would be doing my study abroad programs and leaving the country through Georgetown, through their assistance, funding and support while I was abroad,” he said. “It made these experiences possible.”
As a first-generation college student, Ward wasn’t sure if he’d be able to study abroad. But once he got into Georgetown, he knew the university had resources to enable students to go abroad and thrive.
While abroad, Ward continued to receive the same financial aid he received while studying on the Hilltop. Through the Office of the Provost, Ward received a scholarship to help fund his study abroad experiences as part of the Penner Family Experiences Award.
Through the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP), Ward also discovered Georgetown’s bridge housing program, which provides housing for students who don’t have anywhere to go during breaks.
Ward received bridge housing from Georgetown before starting his semester abroad in Chile in late February 2025.
Aside from financial support, Ward said the community and support from GSP gave him confidence that he could thrive at Georgetown and study abroad.
“Being a part of GSP and having those resources as a first-generation student made it more clear and realistic for me [to study abroad],” he said.
He hopes he can be a mentor to those from similar backgrounds to reassure them that they can succeed at Georgetown. Since going abroad, Ward has held info sessions and mentored other GSP students on how they can study abroad and take advantage of the resources and scholarships Georgetown offers.
As Ward prepares to graduate this May, he said his time at Georgetown and abroad has transformed him from the person he was when he arrived on the Hilltop in 2022. He plans to teach English in Mexico to continue building his Spanish language skills before hoping to one day return to the U.S. for law school.
“At the time I was someone just starting in the university I was much more nervous, but now I know I belong here and can be a mentor to people just starting,” Ward said. “I feel much more confident being like, You’re going to be okay. You can do this. These are things that are possible at this university for students.”
