“You know those TikToks that make fun of people who come back from being abroad and act like their entire world view has shifted? I fear that’s me.”
For media arts student Jada Jenkins ’26, studying abroad in Morocco wasn’t always part of the plan.
“I only ever considered studying abroad because I picked up a Middle Eastern Studies certificate, and it was one of the requirements,” she said.
For Jenkins, signs are everything, the small things that let you know you’re on a good path, she said. But when the time to fill that study abroad requirement came, Jenkins found herself reluctant to accept the signs encouraging her to go overseas.
“And even though all signs pointed to me going abroad, from the literal requirement to the multiple scholarships I was getting, I sort of tried to sabotage my chances of going,” Jenkins said. From submitting essays at the last second to glossing over studies for her Arabic placement tests, Jenkins found herself taking a passive approach to the whole process—but not without reason.
“My grandfather, Kim Ferguson, was my best friend,” Jenkins explained. It was around this time that his health took an unexpected decline. Less than a month before her flight to Morrocco, he passed away.
“He’s seen so much of the world, being both in the Navy and a photographer,” Jenkins said. “When I was going through his stuff, I found a lot of photos from his travels.”
“I also found empty travel notebooks of his that he never filled out. I brought those and his camera with me abroad,” she said. “I’d write in his notebooks and take photos of all my new friends with his camera.”
Then came her next sign.
“I received my Gilman Scholarship, the one that would send me abroad, less than an hour after losing my grandfather,” Jenkins said. “I actually opened the acceptance letter sitting in the plastic nursing-home chair.”
Without receiving the Gilman and Benter scholarships, Jenkins said, she would not have been able to go abroad. The competitive Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship is a merit-based award for American students studying abroad, while the Benter Initiative for Global Citizenship Scholarship is a Chatham scholarship aiming to help students broaden global awareness through work in other countries, prioritizing students traveling to Middle Eastern and Muslim nations.
“It was like he handed me a plane ticket and said, ‘It’s okay to leave now,’” she said. “So weird, but a sign is a sign.”
When the spring term came, Jenkins left for Meknes—a small, historic city tucked in northern Morocco, neighboring the country’s capital, Rabat.
Off the bat, Jenkins noticed how different everyday life looked and felt compared to Pittsburgh. “We don’t always think about it, but living in a majority-Christian country, everything is always built around that, from the decorations up during certain times of the month to businesses closing early on Sundays,” she said. “But being in a majority-Muslim area was so interesting. As someone really fascinated with religion, this was such a fun experience.”
In line with the Gilman scholarship, Jenkins participated in the Reach The World program during her time abroad. In this, Jenkins met with a class of second graders in a series of bi-weekly calls, sharing her experiences with them as a student abroad. “That was really meaningful,” she said, “it felt like talking to a younger version of me.”
It was the people around her that helped Jenkins feel at peace in a new place. She met two of her best friends, Zineb and Hoda, who were students already living in Morrocco. “I [also] met my insane Arabic professor, Dr. Zaki who inspired me on every level,” Jenkins said. “I got to spend Ramadan with him and his family, eating enough food to fill a castle. He and his wife were so kind to me.”
Travelling during Ramadan, Jenkins said, spurred some of her fondest memories in Morocco. “Complete strangers invited us into their home for my friend to break her fast and pray. I thought that was the kindest thing ever, and it’s one of those moments that reminds you how much all humans inherently love each other.”
“I was so scared I’d spend months alone, but I was absolutely spoiled by connection and humanity.”
Jenkins says she’d recommend other students to take that chance studying abroad, and that she’d be willing to chat with any peers about questions they might have about the process. “I feel like we all have a responsibility, if ever presented with the privilege, to explore our world,” Jenkins said. “If you’re on the fence, go anyways. If your hesitancy is financial, get in contact with Chatham Global ASAP, there are so many opportunities to study abroad for free or close to it.”
Interested in studying abroad at Chatham University? Learn more about how the Office of Global Engagement can help at chatham.edu.
Lyn Bigley ’26 is a senior majoring in psychology and creative writing. She currently works as a writing mentor and a digital content creator for Chatham University. In her downtime, she enjoys looking at pictures of animals, playing video games, impulse buying, and watching reality TV.