EAPA Education Abroad Peer Ambassadors
Get a student perspective.
Ask an EAPA.
Our Education Abroad Peer Ambassadors (EAPAs) are UK students (like you!) who have recently returned from their own education abroad program and are passionate about helping other students have their own life-changing international experience.
Thinking about studying abroad but not sure where to start? The Education Abroad Peer Ambassadors are here to help. They’ve been in your shoes--- navigating applications, preparing for travel, and adjusting to life in another country-- and are here to share what they’ve learned and help you get started. Our EAPAs lead First Steps sessions, staff our EA Advising Center, and, of course, love to talk about their time abroad.
Attend a First Steps Session
Start your journey abroad by joining a First Steps session. During these short "EA 101" sessions, you’ll learn how to choose a program, navigate the application process, and hear tips from students who’ve already gone abroad.
Interested in becoming an EAPA?
If you've studied abroad as a UK student and are passionate about sharing your experience with others, you may just make a perfect EAPA! Email us at educationabroad@uky.edu to find out more.
Connect with an EAPA
- Visit Our EA Advising Center in 315 Bradley Hall
(Monday-Friday: 9a to 5p) - Attend a First Steps session.
- Send an email.
Meet the EAPAs
Amaiya Binder
Major: Chemistry
Year: Junior
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Education Abroad Program: Explore First: Careers, Cultures, and Connections (London, England, UK) | Summer 2025
Ask me about: Traveling internationally for the first time, coming from a first-gen background, London food recs, how to pack for studying abroad as a professional over-packer
Parker Blackman
Major: Economics & Finance
Year: Junior
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Istituto Lorenzo de' Medici- API (Florence, Italy) | Spring 2026
Ask me about: Where I traveled, the visa process, tips on safe and affordable travel, the best food cities
Thomas Chevalier
Major: Finance & Accounting
Year: Senior
Hometown: Bardstown, KY
Education Abroad Program: Business Goes Global: Corporate Finance and Strategic Communication (Paris, France) | Summer 2025
Ask me about: Using merit scholarships to pay for a summer abroad, bakeries, the Philadelphia airport (wouldn't recommend), bidets
Will Collier
Major: Philosophy
Year: Junior
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Universidad de Malaga- WorldStrides (Malaga, Spain) | Summer 2026
Ask me about: Spain, WorldStrides, Spanish language, seafood, physical fitness abroad
Ruby Gonzalez
Major: Nursing
Year: Junior
Hometown: Bowling Green, KY
Education Abroad Program: Faculty-Directed: Scotland: Interdisciplinary Projects in Distilling (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK) | Summer 2025; Partner: Summer in Scandinavia- DIS (Copenhagen, Denmark) | Summer 2026
Ask me about: Studying abroad as a nursing major, solo traveling outside the country, planning fun side excursions to maximize your time abroad!
Bella Heady
Major: Finance & Accounting
Year: Senior
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Education Abroad Program: Exchange: OST University (Business & Economics) (St. Gallen, Switzerland) | Spring 2026
Ask me about: Exchanges, public transportation, pastries, losing your bags
Marie-Veronic Kouakou
Major: Media Arts and Studies
Year: Senior
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Education Abroad Program: Explore First: Careers, Cultures, and Connections (Dublin, Ireland) | Summer 2024 ; Partner: Summer II in Paris- KIIS (Paris, France) | Summer 2025
Ask me about: Explore First, application help, studying abroad twice, summer semester programs, and public transportation
Annie Perkins
Major: Biology and German Studies
Year: Senior
Hometown: Fort Thomas, KY
Education Abroad Program: Exchange: Heidelberg University (Heidelberg, Germany) | Fall 2025- Summer 2025
Ask me about: Language education, balancing STEM education with studying abroad, and leaving the country for the first time!
Adam Pfeiffer
Major: Psychology (Pre-Med)
Year: Senior
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Summer II in Paris- KIIS (Paris, France) | Summer 2025, Summer 2026; Exchange: University of Caen- Lexington Sister Cities (Caen, France) | Spring 2026; Faculty-Directed: Leaders of a Global Society: Great Britain and Beyond (Harlaxton, England, UK) | Summer 2026
Ask me about:
Abby Quinn
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Year: Senior
Hometown: Simpsonville, KY
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Fall & Spring Voyage (Semester at Sea) | Spring 2026
Ask me about: Finding the best class options for you, safaris in Kenya, why I chose my program, why Bering Sea deserved first place in the Sea Olympics
Maria Rodrigues Wanderley
Major: Neuroscience
Year: Senior
Hometown: São José dos Campos, Brazil
Education Abroad Program: Faculty-Directed: Addiction Studies in Portugal (Lisbon, Portugal) | Summer 2026
Ask me about: UK EA Scholarships, faculty-directed programs, weekend Euro trips!
Carsen Wastell
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Year: Junior
Hometown: Danville, KY
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Engineering and Math in Prague - CEA CAPA(Prague, Czech Republic) | Summer 2025
Ask me about: Studying abroad in STEM, using EA for honors experiential credit, leaving the country for the first time on your own, adding EA to your resume, getting stranded in Slovakia
Alaina Worful
Major: Marketing & Management
Year: Senior
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Internship in Rome, Italy- CEA-CAPA (Rome, Italy) | Summer 2026
Ask me about: Interning, working, studying, safety while abroad, and using scholarships to pay for EA
Norah Wright
Major: Agricultural Ecosystem Sciences- Emphasis in Sustainability (Minors: Plant and Soil Sciences and Psychology)
Year: Senior
Hometown: Oxford, MI
Education Abroad Program: Partner: Griffith University - USAC (Gold Coast, Australia) | Spring 2025
Ask me about: Traveling in Oceania, Robert Irwin, USAC partner programs, kangaroos, studying abroad as an out-of-state student