Link - Summer ISEP Program for Nanzan University

February 11th, 2024

Hi everyone!

My name is Seth Anderson, and I need urgent help in paying for a study abroad trip this summer at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. This trip will be part of an ISEP Exchange program, which my home university is a member of that organization. This trip will run from about the middle of May until late July (and I will update on the specific dates when ISEP posts them). The link above will take you the description about this trip on ISEP’s website, if you like to read more about it.

Who am I?

I am currently a junior attending Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY, with a major in English and a minor in Film Studies and Creative Writing. I was actually born in Long Beach, California before my family and I moved to different states before residing in Taylorsville, KY. Since about age 3, I have been diagnosed with autism, which has affected my social communication.

At Bellarmine, I have been a member of their Honors Program and multiple student organizations, mostly art related, including Bellarmine’s only Film Club and creative writing club, Pen and Sword. For the last 5 semesters at Bellarmine, I have been put on the Dean’s List for maintaining at a 3.5 GPA. This led me to be invited to be a member of the national honor society Alpha Lambda Delta and National Residence Hall Honorary program. I have also been working for Kentucky Refugee Ministries – Louisville (KRM) through a college work-study program.

Why Japan?

I have been passionate about visiting Japan for at least a few years now. My first interest in it came from watching different kinds of animation from Japan, Beastars being my personal favorite. As I learned more about the country’s other cultural aspects overtime, I became fascinated by the strict use of language and gestures between native Japanese people to communicate with each other. I got an opportunity to learn some of that after taking 2 beginner Japanese language courses at Bellarmine from a native Japanese professor during my sophomore year, before the university closed down its Foreign Languages department. :( I was able to meet with a Japanese-exchange student that same year as well, but I was not able to keep contact with him when he left.

I also have not yet travelled outside the U.S., so this trip will be my first time visiting another country. Both of my parents had experience travelling to different countries: my mom visited European cities like Paris, France and Salzburg, Austria, my dad visited Dubai, UAE when he was in the Marines. Guess that is why part of why I want to do this trip is to continue my family’s passion for travelling abroad.

What is keeping me from paying the costs for this trip?

I have been relying mostly on scholarships from Bellarmine and federal student loans, which still leaves me to pay about 25% of my tuition and fees each semester. For this semester, I still need to pay $3,483. I have also been adding money from my earnings from KRM in a savings account to pay remaining costs each semester, which made it difficult for me to focus on my classes. For federal loans alone, I have so far used $19,699 through the FAFSA form, which must be paid back after I graduate. Therefore, my parents are unable to help pay any remaining costs for this trip. That is why any amount you can donate will help relieve a lot of stress off of me and them, and your contribution will help me focus more on my academics and job.

So, what will the $9,371 cover?

The trip description in the link above will show you the specific costs I need to pay, but here is a breakdown of what this amount will help cover:

• Application Fee: $100 (Due February 15th. One of my parents and I will help pay for this).

• Tuition: $4,935

• Program Deposit: $425 (Must be paid when I accept this program).

• Housing: $960 (I plan to do a homestay)

• Roundtrip Airfare: $1951 (This cost is based on a plan from Delta Airlines, but I have not yet decided which airline to use for this trip.)

• Personal Expenses (local transportation, laundry, toiletries, etc.): $500

• Independent Travel: $500

The remaining costs, besides the Application Fee and Program Deposit, must be paid 30 days before the start of my trip. I might apply for a Deferral form, so I can defer my payment while still waiting any scholarships/awards that may come after the end of April. I will share updates when I receive any applied scholarships/awards before the deadline.

These costs do feel overwhelming for me to pay, so I will not have high expectations if they cannot all be covered, but any amount you can donate will make me feel more confident all of these will be paid for. :)

Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to read through this description about my funding plan if you did! I have about 2 and half months from now to cover the $9,371 for this whole trip, which does not feel like a whole lot of time for me.

If anyone is willing to donate any amount to make this dream of mine a reality, I will greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Seth E. Anderson