“My passport and my ring from Spain,” said Bridget Rennard, a 2019 KU graduate from St. Louis with degrees in Speech-Language-Hearing and Spanish. “It’s nice to look back and see all the stamps and where I’ve been. My ring reminds me of Spain and why I enjoy studying Spanish.”

Rennard’s love for travel is fueled by her passion for languages and cultures. She traveled quite a bit with her family starting at a young age, but Rennard’s first international experience was when they hosted a Spanish exchange student while she was in high school. “We became really good friends, so that made me want to visit her hometown.” Rennard received a KU study abroad scholarship that supported a semester in Salamanca, Spain. “It made it a bit more feasible and let me know that there are scholarships and people who do value study abroad.”

Upon returning to the U.S., Rennard worked as a peer advisor for the Office of Study Abroad. Her responsibilities involved sharing information about scholarships and advising new students on study abroad decisions. She also was a Student Endowment Board member, serving as the vice president of fundraising. In this position, Rennard saw the impact of crowdfunding firsthand and how small gifts can make a difference to students. “I think it really taught me the importance of donor support and why it’s important for people to give back to KU.”

Rennard will be spending the next year as an English teaching assistant as part of the Fulbright Program in the Canary Islands. She then plans to return to the U.S. and attend graduate school for speech pathology.