Study Abroad: Advocating for Allyship

Research has shown that study abroad programs deliver on their promise to provide a transformative experience: college students who spend a semester or academic year living and learning in another country return home more confident, culturally competent and civically engaged. Yet, such studies have understandably emphasized personal growth; it’s much harder to quantify the impact students have on their host communities.  

Unless you’re Teresa Vielma ’23, that is. During her semester abroad at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia, the Management major and Sociology minor completed a service-learning project in partnership with Bond’s Ally Network Steering Committee, helping them identify specific actions the university can take to support its LGBTQ+ community and cultivate a more inclusive campus culture. Several of her recommendations have already been implemented, and more are underway — clear evidence of her ability to enact positive change during her time Down Under.  

“I’ve always been passionate about DEI,” says Vielma, a proud LGBTQ+ ally and longtime advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. “I’m so grateful to have had the chance to work on this project.” The project was facilitated by Bentley alumna Amy Kenworthy ’92, MBA ’94, a Management professor at Bond University and an internationally recognized expert in the field of service-learning and management education. 

“The specialized service-learning project we created for Teresa is a wonderful example of how study abroad students can leverage their Bentley experiences into locally based learning when they are abroad,” explains Kenworthy, a steering committee member. “In this case, Bentley and Bond are both small institutions, but Bentley is further along in the development of their allyship support systems than we are. In leading this directed study, Teresa gave us insights into not only what Bentley is doing, but also best practices from universities around the world, ultimately helping us make sure that the systems we’re putting in place are things our LGBTQ+ community wants and needs.”

As an undergraduate, Kenworthy was one of the first students to participate in the university’s newly introduced Bentley Service-Learning Project (now known as the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center), an experiential education program that enhances student learning by incorporating community service projects within academic courses. Later, as a graduate student, she became its administrative coordinator, working full-time to grow and develop the program while earning her MBA; in the decades since, Kenworthy’s passion for service-learning has continued unabated, and today, she is considered one of the world’s foremost scholar-practitioners in the field. 

Since arriving at Bond in 1999, Kenworthy has been actively incorporating service-learning into her courses and helping others across Australia — and the world — do the same.  After meeting Vielma, she knew instinctively that the Bentley student’s familiarity with management consulting and passion for social justice made her an ideal choice to help the steering committee identify best practices for supporting LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff.  

Vielma created and administered a student survey to assess awareness of Bond’s existing efforts and generate ideas for future initiatives. She also researched LGBTQ+ programs and policies offered by other Australian universities before presenting her findings to the steering committee. Among her recommendations: creating all-gender bathrooms across campus and providing a corresponding location map; introducing a mentorship program pairing LGBTQ+ students with faculty and staff; and establishing a “rainbow room” or other designated campus space where LGBTQ+ community members and allies can come together. 

Vielma also suggested that Bond emphasize its commitment to inclusion through more prominent visuals and iconography — a recommendation which was implemented earlier this month to kick off the university’s Pride Month celebrations. Bond now has a prominent outdoor stairwell on campus painted in rainbow colors and emblazoned with the message, “Everyone is welcome here.” As Kenworthy notes, “Teresa did a wonderful job with her research, and the committee was very interested in hearing students’ perspectives on the importance of allyship. I have no doubt we’ll continue to move forward with more of her recommendations in the coming year.” 

Vielma is proud to have played an important role in helping Bond cultivate a more welcoming and supportive campus culture. “Inclusivity is the foundation for success,” she explains, “because inclusive environments allow individuals to reach their full potential.”  

It’s something Vielma, who grew up in Pharr, Texas, knows from personal experience. A participant in Bentley’s FirstGen Presidential Fellows program — a prestigious leadership development program for first-generation students that fully covers the cost of attendance (tuition, room and board, and an allowance for books, supplies and personal expenses) for four years — she says, “I’ve felt incredibly supported by this institution. My professors, peers and campus resources, such as the Multicultural Center, have all positively shaped my experience as a first-gen student at Bentley.”  

Vielma, who will graduate a semester early this December, attributes her academic success, in part, to being part of a community that celebrates diversity.  That’s one reason why she considers it “crucial” for companies to commit to creating more equitable and inclusive work environments for their employees. “Bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives is key to fostering a more collaborative, creative and effective workplace,” she explains. 

That sentiment applies equally to college campuses everywhere, as Vielma’s project with Bond University proves. Whether in the U.S. or Australia, in the classroom or in the boardroom, “Inclusivity is key,” she says. “We must strive to ensure that every individual feels included and valued.”