Every journey begins with a first step. For many college students looking to study internationally, applying for a passport is a crucial item on their travel to-do list. But it can be challenging for some to check off as completed.

With support from Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) donors for the past two years, the Swanson School of Engineering has helped to eliminate that barrier for students pursuing global education.

Last fall, for the second consecutive year, the University of Pittsburgh’s Global Experiences Office sponsored a Passport Fair on campus. U.S. Postal Service personnel provided students with a one-stop-shop for their passport applications, from reviewing required documentation to taking a photo.

The Passport Fair makes the process more convenient for busy college students, says Swanson School Director of Global experiences and Engagement Alicia Olalde, “With a rigorous curriculum, there's not a lot of time in the day to spend a few hours going downtown during business hours and back for an appointment to apply for a passport.”

The Swanson School didn’t stop there. Staff members recognized that the $165 cost for a first-time passport applicant could prevent students from even considering a study abroad opportunity. The school offered a random drawing to reimburse the application fees for 17 students who met eligibility criteria—thanks to funding from PDoG gifts and other sources.

“It’s a relatively small amount of money, but it has a tremendous impact in opening up the possibility of studying abroad,” Olalde says. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Students receiving the support for their passport fees wholeheartedly agree.

“For a while now, I've been wanting to travel abroad but haven't been able to since money is tight, and time is not abundant,” a recipient shares. “I took Spanish in school for six years, and now I'm excited to have the opportunity to reap some of the rewards by visiting a Spanish-speaking country through a study abroad program. Updating my passport has been on the to-do list for a long time, and with this reimbursement, I was finally able to do that!”

Ongoing donor support plays a key role in ensuring that global experiences can continue to have a profound impact on Swanson School students.

“Global programs for our students are truly true experiential learning opportunities,” Olalde says. “Our programs are engineering courses that fulfill degree requirements in addition to being professional development opportunities.

“Through these programs, students are better prepared to become global engineers. They develop perspective and insight from situations they may not encounter in daily life here in the U.S., which will influence how they create engineering solutions in the future. The ripple effect of that learning is lifelong.”

Along with PDoG support, Pitt received the U.S. Department of State’s Institute for International Education American Passport Project grant, enabling 25 Pell-grant eligible students to receive free passports in 2024. Olalde and School of Nursing Director of International Affairs Lucinda Morgan applied for the grant as part of efforts to promote campus globalization.

At Falk Laboratory School, education is achieved through collaboration, active learning and hands-on experiences. From collecting soil samples on the Falk Woods hillside to creating miniature dream bedrooms in middle school art class, students are encouraged to work with their hands and think creatively in all they do.

This philosophy is especially present in the WonderLab, a workshop and makerspace established in 2015 with the help of a crowdfunding campaign.

Derek Werderitch, a WonderLab instructor, says the space relies on donations to teach children woodworking, sewing, making and service. While a school is set up to purchase items like Chromebooks and pencil sharpeners, it isn’t always easy to get tools, he says.

That’s where Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) donations can make a world of difference.

During PDoG in 2023, Falk’s WonderLab fund received a generous $4,730 in donations—money that directly impacted Falk students by purchasing hammers, lumber and even a 3D printer. Last year, PDoG donations and other charitable giving allowed the school to invest in new tables for the space.

Werderitch says the tables were built at a custom height to accommodate the school’s youngest students—a perfect example of the authentic problem-solving so central to the WonderLab. Falk Director Dr. Jill Sarada recognizes this problem-solving as an integral aspect of Falk’s educational mission.

“The experiences children have in the WonderLab go far beyond more traditional make-and-take spaces,” Dr. Sarada says. The students learn skills for authentic problem-solving and meaningful creative exploration. This space, this class, these teachers truly exemplify Falk's goal to teach children how to think.”

Falk’s mission of teaching children to think, explore and solve problems extends beyond the WonderLab into every class taught at the school. Each day, students engage in hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences spanning yoga and mindfulness, environmental education, library and digital citizenship, performing and visual arts and more—an education made possible with donor gifts.

When researchers in the David C. Frederick Honors College (FHC) set out to develop the online Racial Equity Awareness Database (R.E.A.D.), they wanted to go beyond a project that would collect virtual dust once finished. Instead, they envisioned a resource that would become widely used and enhanced by others fostering racial justice across the world.

With travel funding from Pitt Day of Giving donors in 2024, the researchers took a giant step toward that goal. The team presented the database to a global audience in Geneva, Switzerland, during the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in April.

The R.E.A.D. team, part of the college’s Social Change Martinson Applied Project, included undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty.

It was advised by Gabby Yearwood, an anthropology professor and managing faculty director for Pitt Law’s Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice; Ron Idoko, a research assistant professor in the School of Social Work, associate director of the Center on Race and Social Problems, founding director of the Racial Equity Consciousness Institute and director of the Office of Social Innovation in FHC; and then-FHC student Mary Angbanzan, who now serves as social innovation coordinator in the college.

Modeled after the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, R.E.A.D captures and curates resources, such as programs, policies and practices, implemented by individuals and organizations committed to supporting historically marginalized communities. The database is designed to support people working to eliminate racial disparities so they “don’t feel like they have to start from scratch,” Idoko says. “Here's a platform where we can share resources and facilitate a global exchange.”

The prospect of presenting at the U.N. forum was initially intimidating, says Kamila Dominguez, a senior accounting major on the R.E.A.D team. But she and other students quickly found a welcoming environment there, especially when networking with experienced researchers and other professionals.

“We established some wonderful connections for our project and also for our careers,” she says. “Going to the conference showed me a whole different side of the world.”

Developing the database and participating in the forum are the types of “powerful learning experiences” that wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of donors to the Frederick Honors College, Idoko says. That support directly invests in the talents and futures of FHC students like Dominguez.

“Thank you for believing in us,” she says to Pitt Day of Giving donors. “You gave us the opportunity to create change and have a bigger impact on society.”

For Bailee Hassen, studying in Slovakia last summer not only sharpened her language skills, but it also gave her a firsthand understanding of how international policies unfold on a local level.

“It’s one thing to read about a policy, but it’s completely different to see that impact on the ground and from the perspective of people being most affected by it,” says Hassen, a second-year master’s student in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Hassen and three other students embraced horizon-expanding global learning thanks to donors who supported the school on the 2024 Pitt Day of Giving. The day generated nearly $10,000 for areas across the school with gifts from more than 200 alumni and friends.

Hassen’s experience began at Pitt with six weeks of learning Slovak at a beginner level through the Slavic Department's Summer Language Institute. With that foundation, she traveled to Slovakia for a month, continuing language study in the capital city of Bratislava. Hassen’s intensive courses translated into what would typically be a full year’s worth of language study.

She traveled throughout the country to visit cultural and historical sites, building her appreciation for the “long and complex history of Slovakia.” Exploring pressing issues affecting the nation and world today, she spoke with Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia due to the war with Russia.

“Those conversations really put into perspective the global impact of the war, and it gave me a deeper insight into refugee policy,” Hassen says.

Hassen is “endlessly grateful” for the chance to study in Slovakia—and for those who made the trip possible. “I want to thank donors for helping me pursue this opportunity,” she says. “It was truly an experience of a lifetime.”

Student interest in global learning continues to grow, but financial issues are often a barrier to participating. To help students pursue those opportunities, alumnus Tony Fratto (A&S ’88) helped the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs establish an International Experiences Fund that donors can support on the 2025 Pitt Day of Giving.

When Jimmy Rekowski (A&S ’24) was a University of Pittsburgh student, the Panthers Forward program showed him the power of Pitt’s alumni network in shaping his future.

The program paired Rekowski with an alumnus mentor: Joseph Kannarkat (A&S ’18). Kannarkat was starting his internal medicine residency and was able to provide Rekowski with life-tested advice on crafting medical school applications, developing a voice in professional writing and more. The Pitt alumni pair even collaborated with another co-author on an article published in the American Medical Association’s JAMA Health Forum.

“I know I will always be able to turn to Joseph,” Rekowski says. “I’ve gained a lifelong friend who I know I can talk with about the good and the bad times.”

Donors to Panthers Forward on the 2024 Pitt Day of Giving helped inspire future-building opportunities and connections for students like Rekowski. Fueled by that generosity, Panthers Forward annually provides 150 Pitt seniors with up to $5,000 in federal student loan relief, financial wellness programming and mentoring.

Kannarkat was among the Pitt alumni who helped conceive of the idea for Panthers Forward, and he has volunteered with the program since its inception in 2019.

“I have been lucky to have mentors who have offered support to me without asking anything in return,” Kannarkat says. “Like them, I hope to pay it forward and be part of a community that cultivates this kind of thinking. I have probably learned just as much from Jimmy as he has learned from me.”

Donors play a crucial role in Panthers Forward’s success, Kannarkat adds. They set an extraordinary example of philanthropy, creating a supportive culture that alleviates debt and makes mentoring relationships like the one he developed with Rekowski possible.

Panthers Forward equipped Rekowski with valuable skills and resources to prepare for his next steps after graduation. As he looks forward to starting medical school, Rekowski has a deeper understanding of the importance of giving back to Pitt.

“I’ve learned that the measure of a university’s success is not just in academic excellence, but in the strength of a community of alumni who create pathways for current students,” Rekowski says.

As a longtime leader in the Pitt Global Experiences Office, Carol Larson invested insight and care into ensuring students, regardless of financial means, could access international education that broadened their skills and worldviews.

Donors to Pitt Global on the 2024 Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) honored Larson’s legacy, supporting a fund endowed in her memory to empower new generations to study abroad. In all, 339 supporters gave to Pitt Global on PDoG, more than doubling the previous year’s total and unlocking $7,500 in challenge funds.

For many students from underrepresented backgrounds, the prospect of traveling outside the United States can “quite literally be a foreign concept,” says Jeff Whitehead, interim executive director of Pitt Global in the University Center for International Studies. “Removing the barrier of cost has been the single most important factor in helping students achieve a goal that may have felt impossible.”

The Carol Larson Endowed Fund provides meaningful financial aid for travel and other required study-away expenses. Gifts to Pitt Global also support workshops and resources, so students can feel as prepared as possible when traveling the world.

Global learning helps students become more adaptable, culturally aware and successful in an interconnected world. PDoG contributions, coupled with the work of Pitt’s dedicated global education professionals, put those transformative experiences within reach.

“All the donations we receive directly benefit students and translate into programming and opportunities that may have otherwise not existed,” Whitehead says. “We were thrilled with the outpouring of support in 2024, and we are eager to share the worthy projects for this year’s Pitt Day of Giving.”