Pasta and a Broadening World View

Nayeli Ortiz doesn’t like pasta, but that didn’t stop her from studying abroad for an entire semester in Italy.

“Funny story,” Ortiz laughs. “I don’t like pasta. I told myself to be open to new experiences, and every day, I would eat pasta.”

While on campus, Ortiz studied international business with minors in Spanish and legal studies. She hopes to go to law school next year — a dream that was ignited in a Northwest Arkansas courtroom during her sister’s citizenship ceremony.

Ortiz grew up in Michoacán, Mexico. In the 7th grade, she moved to Rogers, Arkansas. The move wasn’t an easy decision because Ortiz’s mother couldn’t go with her immediately as she battled immigration issues. Ortiz moved to Arkansas with her sister and was separated from her mother for more than five years. During that time, she adapted to her new home and also learned about immigration law, which ignited her interest in studying international business and expanding her own worldview.

Ortiz’s greatest hope is that she leaves an impact on the University of Arkansas while she’s here. With a fellow honors student, she started the Mexican-American Student Association, and through her honors thesis, she hopes she can encourage more first-generation students to study abroad.

“As a first-generation student, going to college is a milestone in itself,” Ortiz said. “But realizing there are opportunities like studying abroad can open so many other doors.”

Nayeli Ortiz during her trip to Europe.

With the Libby Finch Award, which supports students studying abroad in the United Kingdom and Europe for an entire semester, Ortiz moved to Paderno del Grappa in Italy to study business, economics and leadership at the Consortium Institute for Management and Business Analysis.

Her trip was on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, and her family was nervous about her traveling far away for months.

“I’m not a quitter,” Ortiz said. “I made a promise to myself that this was an opportunity for me to be more independent.”

Cristina Turchet, executive director of the consortium, remembers students grappling not only with traveling abroad after the pandemic but also the struggle of returning to the classroom after an extended period of virtual learning.

“[Nayeli] was a very committed and determined student who put her study abroad experience to its best possible use: personal development and growth,” Turchet said. “The experience is about identifying and confronting personal barriers and then overcoming them. For first-generation students, study abroad is particularly powerful, assisting them in giving meaning to the mix of cultural backgrounds that defines who they are and assisting them in seeing where they could go with their unique set of skills.”

Before Ortiz knew it, she was enjoying a cappuccino and chocolate croissant every morning while looking at the Dolomite Mountains. She challenged herself daily by traveling alone, learning about a new culture and eating pasta. “Studying abroad is the boldest thing I’ve ever done,” Ortiz shared. 

The experience made her think more broadly about her career and future. She wants to travel more — Greece is next on her list, and she’s looking at law schools that offer study abroad.

“My degree is a symbol of my family’s sacrifices, whereas studying abroad was something I did just for myself,” Ortiz said. “Prior to traveling, I was very opposed to going anywhere that was not close to my family. Studying abroad made me feel more confident in my abilities to succeed in a new culture.”

The path to studying abroad wasn’t always clear for Ortiz — she worried about funding and if her classes would transfer, but she also didn’t see herself reflected in the marketing materials for trips abroad.

“I remember when I first looked up studying abroad,” Ortiz said. “I did not see many people of color going abroad.”

Harnessing her adventurous spirit, Ortiz reached out to the Office of Study Abroad & International Exchange to not only plan her trip, but to collaborate on research to understand the number of first-generation students studying abroad and redesign marketing materials through the lens of her experience.

With guidance from Megan Hull, assistant director of study abroad for Sam M. Walton College of Business, Ortiz analyzed study abroad data from May 2020 through May 2023. Her research revealed that the percentage of first-generation students who studied abroad lagged slightly behind the national average of the number of first-generation students enrolled in university, but was on par with undergraduate data at the U of A. Similarly, she studied the percentage of students who studied abroad who received Pell Grant funding, which was lower than enrollment data reflects.

“We have a goal that every Arkansas student knows that there are multiple pathways to study abroad, and they would be holistically supported if they did study abroad,” Hull shared. “Broadly, research like Nayeli’s helps us advance that mission, build deeper community partnerships and better meet students where they are.”

Ortiz discovered the main barrier to entry for first-generation students was the same concern she faced, “that a study abroad experience would delay degree completion or increase tuition payments.”

Ortiz knew she wanted her thesis to do more than analyze this misconception; she wanted to help find a solution. For the marketing portion of her thesis, Ortiz created materials highlighting her experience as a first-generation student who studied abroad. She also used the opportunity to share scholarship information with prospective students. She tabled outside high-traffic areas to meet with students personally and share her findings.