Campus Visit: Wilson College
This past October, World Learning staff had the pleasure of visiting Global UGRAD host partner, Wilson College. Wilson College is a liberal arts institution in the small and rural town of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 as one of the first women’s colleges in the United States, but began operating as a coeducational college in 2013. Global UGRAD Program Officer, Melanie Winters, had the opportunity to meet with staff members from several departments who work hard to ensure the four Global UGRAD students studying there are fully supported throughout the semester.
One thing that makes Wilson unique is its academic offerings, including two of their most popular programs: Veterinary Nursing and Equine Studies, including Equine Facilitated Therapeutics. It is also well known for their Health Science and Healthcare programs including Nursing, Exercise Science, and Public Health. Wilson has a strong English language program and will be introducing both Cybersecurity and Computer Science programs in fall 2025 in hopes of attracting more international students to campus.
Thanks to its popular majors, two of the most unique features on Wilson’s campus are the Fulton Farm and Equestrian Center. The farm and equestrian center are educational facilities that are also fully-functional. In fact, many of the crops from the farm are used in the campus dining hall, providing fresh and local options to students daily, and students have the option to board their horses in the equestrian center while living on campus. Including the 72 horses housed at the Equestrian Center, there are over 400 animals on Wilson’s campus due to its several animal-related majors and generous pet policy, making it a great place for any animal lover.
Sarah-Jane Flook, World Learning’s main point of contact at Wilson, is new to her role as the Coordinator of Student Engagement & International Scholar Services, however, she brings with her valuable international experience having traveled and lived in over 55 countries. She is understanding of the international student experience and demonstrates personal care and attention through her open-door policy. The current UGRAD students had only positive messages to share about staff at Wilson College and the support they provide, from free on-campus tutoring to assistance with service learning opportunities.
In addition, the current UGRAD students shared that there are always activities to do on and off campus thanks to the Muhibbah Club – the international student organization on campus. Muhibbah is the Malay word meaning ‘unity among nations,’ which is the primary focus of the club. Club members, both domestic and international students, filled their schedules with a variety of exciting activities including trips to New York City, Hershey Park, and the Luray Caverns, as well as apple picking, shopping at local Amish markets, and more!
World Learning is thankful to Sarah and the rest of the staff at Wilson College for the opportunities they provide to Global UGRAD students and for hosting our campus visit. The Global UGRAD team is looking forward to working with them again in the spring!
