Local Company Offers Students Chance to Study Abroad

Mondial Assistance, a global travel insurance and assistance company with headquarters in Henrico, announced today that it is now accepting applications for its 2011 travel scholarship program, ScholarTrips. The program is open to middle and high school students from the city of Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent and Charles […]

December 10, 2010; 10:02 AM • by Downtown Short Pump Staff

Four recipients will receive scholarships of $2,500 for study abroad programs. The scholarships will be presented at a ceremony at the company’s headquarters.

Students can apply by visiting the Mondial Assistance ScholarTrips website at http://scholartrips.org. Those applying for the scholarship must complete an application form that includes an essay describing how a study abroad experience can help them meet their academic and personal goals. Students are also required to submit a recommendation letter from a teacher or counselor. The deadline for applications is Feb. 28, 2011.

“ScholarTrips scholarships provide important travel and educational opportunities for students in the Richmond region,” said Jon Ansell, president and CEO of Mondial Assistance USA. “Every day Mondial Assistance is part of our customers’ travel experiences and we are proud to support these young people as they pursue their own travel adventures. Mondial Assistance depends on foreign-language skills—more than 40 different languages are spoken at our offices in Richmond—so we are keenly appreciative of the value of being exposed to different cultures.”

Ryan Durazo, a student who traveled to Nicaragua on a 2010 ScholarTrips scholarship said, “I greatly benefited from my trip abroad because I had the chance to understand the lives and views of people outside of the United States. I was able to connect with and understand the unfamiliar. I feel this is an essential skill for anyone who wants to work in our modern global economy.”

Mondial Assistance is a travel insurance and assistance company, providing daily services to millions of travelers around the globe. As part of the scholarship award, Mondial Assistance will provide scholarship recipients with travel insurance and access to the same 24-hour assistance hotline Mondial Assistance provides its customers. The coverage will ensure that, should recipients encounter any travel-related difficulty or require medical assistance, Mondial Assistance’s global network of services is there to assist them.