
Success Stories: A Journey from Study Abroad to Inspiring Future Educators
Cecilia Vanderveen is spending her Spring 2024 semester in Tokyo through Saint Mary’s Study Abroad Program. This isn't her first time far from home; her family moved often when she was growing up, and by the time she graduated high school, she had lived in California, Washington, New Hampshire, and Belgium. “Because I’ve moved around a lot, I became more compelled to increase my cultural sensitivity and fuel my craving for new people and places,” Vanderveen says.
She also wants to help others gain the same experience. As an assistant for the Center of International Programs, Vanderveen helps Latinx and other underrepresented students find funding opportunities for study abroad.

Cecilia is one of the recipients of the 2024 Brother Camillus Chavez ILaLS Student Award. This award provides financial support to students studying Latinx diasporas or Latin America and is named in honor of Brother Camillus Chavez, FSC, ‘51. Vanderveen is recognized for her dedication to serving others and her commitment to making a difference in the world, embodying the core values of the Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies (ILaLS). With the ILaLS award, she can help fund her current semester in Japan.
“I am so honored and grateful to have received this award and for the opportunity to use my experience in Japan—which has been so wonderful and transformative—to encourage students to consider pursuing a term studying abroad,” Vanderveen says.
After she graduates from SMC, she plans to pursue a combined master’s degree and teaching credential at Saint Mary's and use those skills to teach elementary school students overseas.