All Roads Lead to Leeds, UK, for Gilman Scholar Ashley Bautista

My name is Ashley Bautista, and I am a finance major graduating in May 2025!

As my time at St. John’s comes to a close, I am elated to reflect on one of my most transformative and impactful experiences—my study abroad adventures in the Western Europe Semester program (WES) in Fall 2023.

I also had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar Program during my WES semester. The scholarship program is geared toward helping students gain an international network and career skills, and represent American diversity and excellence to political and academic leaders around the world.

My first stop was Rome, Italy, where I took International Business with Professor Nicolo Tartaglia, M.B.A. From the start, I was challenged to critically assess different countries from a business perspective. Despite the initial difficulty, I saw real improvement—not only in my understanding of international business, but also in my presentation skills and critical analysis. Professor Tartaglia constantly questioned my conclusions, pushing me to reassess various factors and their financial impact on business. Outside of class, I basked in the warm weather, explored different Italian cities and museums, and thoroughly enjoyed the carb-rich cuisine.

Next, I traveled to Limerick, Ireland, where I had some of my most memorable experiences learning about Irish history and music. I had assumed that because Limerick was the smallest city I would visit, it might be boring—but I was sorely mistaken. I took guitar classes, learned to play traditional Irish tunes, and made many musician friends who (even to this day) keep me updated on Irish politics and culture. I also developed a love for hiking in Ireland! With their relatively mild weather and interesting ecology, I hiked in Killarney and explored Connemara. Despite my initial reservations, I had an incredible time in Ireland, which ultimately inspired me to study abroad again.

My last stop was Paris, where I had a blast immersing myself in art, music, and history. I discovered countless affordable and exciting activities, including Paris’s vibrant thrifting scene and free art museums like the Petit Palais, which houses some of the world’s most iconic artworks. Paris also had one of the most diverse populations, similar to our New York melting pot. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to connect with people from all over the world and learn about their experiences and culture from immigrants ranging from French Canada, Cuba, Korea, and Morocco.

During my time in Paris, the Gilman Scholarship Program invited me on a study tour in Belgium to learn more about the EU and international politics. As a representative of the United States, I attended speeches with international political leaders and developed friendships with fellow scholars from the US.

Given my experiences working in sustainable fashion and finance, I had the unique opportunity to network with Cambridge researchers and EU Sustainability policy makers and discuss issues regarding unethical garment manufacturing, fashion waste, and pollution. It was exciting to pick their brain on what policy they believed needed to be implemented to make a real change and made me very hopeful for our shared sustainability goals in the EU and the US.

My Western Europe study abroad adventure motivated me to study at Leeds Beckett University this semester. Leeds is the second largest financial city in the UK and is known for having a huge student population with tons of activities. As of now, I’ve been getting involved by joining the badminton team, improving my guitar skills, and volunteering to teach English as a second language to UK immigrants while I complete my Teaching English as a Foreign Language practicum.

As I embark on this new journey, I am beyond grateful for the learning experiences I gained through my Western Europe Semester program. It prepared me to be adaptable and independent, as well as more engaged with my surroundings—whether through exploring different cultures via music or volunteering at local community centers.

I also want to thank everyone at the St. John’s Office of International Education for encouraging me to take the big leap to do both programs despite my initial fears of big change! Hope to see everyone back home in New York soon!