To honor the memory of friend and colleague, Maria Lee, IES Abroad has gathered together to found the Maria Lee Endowed Scholarship. Once established, this Scholarship will support transformational study abroad opportunities for financial-need students from underrepresented communities.
More on this scholarship from Maria's friends (and colleagues), Chelsea Kuchik and Marlowe Padilla:
As a student of the world herself, Maria consistently traveled across the globe to experience life in ways it should be enjoyed. She was all about romanticizing life and the things around her, her schedule was always brimming simply because Maria wanted to experience it all. Her love for adventure took her all over from Alaska to Thailand, where she thrived in nature and always surrounded herself by trees, water, and the large blue sky above her. Arguably, she never stopped “studying abroad,” and she laughed the entire way through.
Maria’s scholarship manifests all the love and joy Maria had for her community, and rests in the power of finding one’s self through travel and exploration. She helped send thousands of students across the world, where they each defined themselves in new ways, thanks to Maria’s guidance (assisted by her unmatched ability to type approximately 1000 words per minute).
We have faith that this scholarship will continue to help spread Maria’s legacy through all corners of the world. It brings comfort to know, that her love for transformative travel will be carried on by our students. Our lives will never be the same after the loss of our beloved friend, a source of so much light in so many lives - but know this: if you’ve experienced joy, you’ve already found Maria.
