Expanding horizons
Yerdley Zeledon-Orozco boarded a plane for the first time in his life this past May, bound for Costa Rica. A first-year mechanical engineering student, Zeledon-Orozco wasn’t just leaving Ohio — he was stepping into a new way of learning, thanks to a University of Dayton initiative several years in the making.
Deb Flanagan Tobias ’73 and her husband, Randall, gave a $5 million gift to the University to make global experiences more accessible. Their donation during the We Soar campaign created the Tobias Global Leaders program, offering Pell-eligible students scholarships for education abroad.
Zeledon-Orozco was part of the first full cohort of Tobias Global Leaders. He spent spring break in Costa Rica exploring sustainable energy systems, including hydroelectric facilities, wind farms and solar projects.
“I chose to go to Costa Rica because of its renewable energy practices and how they’re rooted in preserving wildlife,” ZeledonOrozco wrote in a blog post.
Like Zeledon-Orozco, Trinity Townsend, an electronic and computer engineering technology sophomore, wanted an experience with an engineering focus. She traveled to Germany to learn about the country’s sustainability practices, like their green transportation system, rooftop gardens and solar power.
“The majority of the EU follows the 17 sustainability goals, including zero hunger, food waste, gender equality to help the world make a better planet,” Townsend said.
She and her classmates created a sustainability educational kiosk that could be placed in a park in Dayton as part of a final project. They were inspired by companies they toured and everyday life in Germany.
“We used solar panel power as a way to produce the energy to fuel the kiosk. Doing this would promote sustainability goals and help children learn,” she said. “Learning about sustainability was amazing — it just opens your eyes and widens everything.”
Before they travel abroad, Tobias Global Leaders take a class taught by Heather Schieman ’12, associate director of education abroad and away in the Global and Intercultural Affairs Center. Students learn how to interact with cultures and customs, book travel, apply for a passport, research transportation and more.
“We’re trying to empower students, telling them, ‘The world is open to you,’ and we’re going to make sure you are as comfortable and prepared as possible,” Schieman said.
Sophomore health sciences major Maria Slagle, who trekked El Camino de Santiago in Spain in May, said the class helped her prepare for everything she didn’t know — and even a few things she thought she did.
“Heather knows so much. Once I decided I wanted to do the Camino, she had all these tips like what type of backpack I should get, what type of shoes I should get, and I didn’t even think of all this,” Slagle said.
But what the experience abroad taught Slagle most was how she connected to those she met on the journey.
“There was a huge sense of community around us, even from people that you didn’t know,” she said. “And it was beautiful."
"Honestly, if I didn’t get the Tobias scholarship, I have no idea when I would have been able to do something like this. I am so thankful.”
Schieman said the scholarship has changed the way UD is doing education abroad by taking away initial barriers and supporting students through the entire journey.
“But we’re also sending them out into the world with a passport that’s still going to be good for another six to seven years, telling them, ‘We want you to be a global leader.’”
And for these students, that journey is just beginning.
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A version of this article appears in print in the Autumn 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 18. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE