General Information

Overview
Award Timeline
Eligibility
Travel Criteria
Selection Process

Overview
The Karen Snyder Sullivan Memorial Travel Award was established in 1986 by Karen's husband, Craig, to provide an opportunity for young women like Karen to begin their own voyage of discovery.

The world has much to teach us about other cultures and ourselves. Each year, this award offers a Mount Holyoke College student the opportunity to increase her awareness and understanding of the international community through travel.

The award carries a stipend of up to $7,000; the exact amount is determined by the student's budget proposal. The student selected will be one with a keen interest in exploring the world outside the structured classroom environment and one who relates the travel experience to her personal, professional, and academic goals.

Award Timeline
The process for the Karen Snyder Sullivan Travel Award is as follows:
Applications are due in early October; finalist interviews take place in early November.
The Award recipient is notified of her selection in November.
The Award recipient is recognized at second semester convocation.
Travel takes place during the summer immediately following receipt of the award.

Eligibility
Each applicant must meet the following criteria:
She must be a woman currently enrolled as a student in good standing at Mount Holyoke.
She must be a U.S. citizen who has not traveled outside of the United States and Canada after the age of twelve (except under unusual conditions, to be specified in the application).
She must be a rising sophomore, junior or FP who will return to campus for at least one semester after her summer travel.

Travel Criteria
Travel proposals must be consistent with the following:
The trip must be taken during or immediately following the academic year in which the award is made.
The trip must be made for a minimum of four weeks to destinations outside the United States and Canada.
A short period of study may be part of the trip, but in general the award is intended for travel and not study abroad.

Selection Process
The Office of the Dean of Students coordinates the selection process for the Karen Snyder Sullivan Memorial Travel Award. Completed applications are reviewed by the Selection Committee and approximately five finalists are selected to make formal presentations before the Committee in early November.

The night before the finalist presentations, all finalists are invited to attend a dinner where they can informally meet members of the Selection Committee and previous recipients of the Karen Snyder Sullivan Travel Award. On the day following the award dinner, each finalist makes a formal presentation of approximately 10 minutes to the Selection Committee. Each finalist is encouraged to take this opportunity for creativity in presenting her travel plans, goals, and unique expression of her vision of the world and her role in it. The Committee will make its final selection once all finalists have made their presentations and the award recipient will be notified the next day.