Our Full Ride Winner is Erin Bergeron, University of Massachusetts-Amherst student who is studying abroad at the University of Auckland in New Zealand this spring.
When asked about her upcoming study abroad adventure, Erin says, “I am looking forward to new experiences and opportunities for growth and exploration. I cannot wait to travel throughout New Zealand and get to know Auckland. I plan to do lots of hikes and spend plenty of time in nature. I especially love experiencing new cultures and environments. I am also excited to meet new people and learn about their lives and experiences. I also know that this will be an important time to learn more about myself.”
About Erin
Erin is a Kinesiology major with a passion for the environment and health with a 3.7 GPA. She is a foster youth and has been involved with the Department of Children and Families since elementary school. She has overcome major challenges to become an outstanding student involved in a variety of organizations both on and off-campus over the last four years. Erin fully supports herself, living on her own and paying all her personal expenses since starting college.
She had the opportunity to work on research in microbiology and kinesiology starting from her freshman year, including researching carbon use efficiency as well as physical activity in children and adolescents. The summer following her freshman year, she volunteered at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She also had the opportunity to attend a service trip to Haiti where she volunteered with children living with muscular dystrophy. After the trip, she proceeded to learn Haitian Creole and work on research regarding public health protocols for future endeavors.
Her sophomore year, Erin started training to become a certified sexual assault counselor advocate in Massachusetts. This progressed to an internship where she worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The summer following her sophomore year, she traveled abroad to Kyrgyzstan where she found a passion for fitness and health. Coming back home, she started teaching at the Campus Recreation center and became certified in Spinning and TRX fitness classes.
By her junior year, Erin was working extensively throughout her campus to promote health and wellness. She completed an internship at the Center for Counseling and Psychologist Health in coordination with The Body Project to create a healthier mindset on campus. This internship involved promoting and coordinating groups of individuals for workshops focused on body positivity, empowerment and individuality. She volunteered at local elementary schools to help children get moving and learn healthy habits. She also continued teaching group fitness and helped to grow, train and lead new instructors. She went to her first fitness conference in Boston and became certified in Cardio Sport. The summer after her junior year, she interned with Athletic Training for the UMass Amherst Division 1 Football Team.
Now a senior, Erin is a Personal Trainer Intern at Equinox Chestnut Hill. She is also working with the Every Voice Official Coalition to empower and connect students and leaders throughout Massachusetts to hear and support sexual assault survivors. The organization works to pass bills regarding sexual assault and appropriate representation for sexual assault survivors on campuses.
“For me, this Full Ride Scholarship means the obliteration of financial limitation. It means freedom to grow and to feel without limit. Coming from extreme financial limitations, receiving this scholarship was unimaginable. I called my grandmother sobbing,” Erin says. “It is something I will never get over. It is a forever reminder that when you face your fears in order to create personal growth, amazing things await you.”
About the Full Ride Scholarship
The TEAN Full Ride Scholarship covers tuition, program fees and orientation, and is awarded in addition to our regular collection of semester and summer scholarships.
You can learn more about our programs and opt to receive updates from TEAN including future scholarship announcements by submitting your information here.
