Normandy Scholar Program on WWII

Testimonials from the Class of 2026

“Going into the Normandy Scholars Program, I was sure that I'd learn lots more than I ever had about World War II and travel abroad to new places. I couldn't have known that the program would bring forth such personal growth, lasting relationships, and an understanding of the urgency of our current historical moment. While the workload may appear intimidating—which I know it certainly felt to me—the program provides a necessary safety net in the form of understanding faculty who want nothing more than to help you grow as a writer, thinker, and speaker. You’ll learn the importance of challenging yourself in discussions with your peers in and out of the classroom in the program. You’ll learn the necessity of accuracy and understanding different perspectives when studying the complex issues of human behavior and motivation related to an event such as WWII. You’ll learn that the atrocities of WWII are distinctly human and were preventable, just as current atrocities remain. There is no time like the present to learn about the past. In addition to all of this, I surely can’t complain about the study abroad portion of the program. You’ll find yourself bearing witness to the memory of the war over Europe, an aspect that cements your understanding of the history learned in the classroom. From seeing the new buildings built after the Blitz in London, to walking along Omaha Beach in Normandy, to frequenting the many Polish milk bars left behind by the centralized Soviet government, to forging deeper relationships with your peers and professors, the memories of your month abroad will stick with you forever. I cannot recommend the Normandy Scholars Program enough to those interested in emerging as better, more conscious citizens of our modern world.”
--Samantha Mason, Government, English, LAH

“The Normandy Scholars gives students a better understanding of not just WWII, but humanity as a whole and themselves. Over the course of a semester, you’ll study WWII from the perspective of 5 different countries with the same 18 students. Very quickly, you’ll begin to understand that no two experiences of World War II were the same. It all depended on who you were, where you were, and, in many cases, how lucky you were. Similarly, you’ll learn about the 17 other students in your cohort through conversations and class discussions and realize, each of the different reasons it was important for them to study WWII. For me personally, my grandmother survived the war in rural Ukraine under the Soviet Union and subsequent Nazi occupation, and the only deaths in my family from WWII were in the Red Army. While I will never be able to fully understand exactly what my family in Ukraine went through, it has been very meaningful to me to learn what the Ukrainian people lived through during this era and how vital the Red Army was to the Nazi defeat, something often underemphasized in the West. The semester is very challenging both academically and emotionally, but you have 17 other students going through the exact same thing alongside you. During movie nights, you’ll watch all sorts of incredibly difficult films. They’ll end and you’ll look around the silent room at your classmates and feel a small sense of relief that you aren’t learning these difficult subjects alone. You’ll probably read and write more than you have for any other semester, but you’ll quickly become a much better and faster reader and writer. For all of the challenges you endure, you’ll be rewarded with a once in a lifetime trip at the end. This trip will give you a better understanding of your classmates, professors, and of course, the history that you have been studying all semester. This program and the people you’ll meet will be unforgettable. Join Normandy Scholars and see what you’re capable of.”
--Kathrine Miner, History, REE

“The Normandy Scholar Program was no doubt the highlight of my time at the University of Texas. Meeting wonderful people, learning, and travelling alongside them was such a uniquely valuable experience that completely changed how I approach my education. The program faculty is, without question, the best the UT has to offer. Each has an unmatched depth of knowledge and a true passion for the subject matter. The program goes beyond a course schedule and a summer trip: the film series, additional excursions, and classroom relationships will make it feel like a vivid five-month-long internal discussion about remembrance, violence, and how our modern society came into being. Spending time with other members of the program was both so fun and academically rewarding. Long nights writing papers, watching films together, and even planning additional excursions brought us all so close and really made the program feel like something special. Beyond all this, NSP gives you an unforgettable time abroad. A litany of incredible museums, fascinating tours of key locations, and just exploring historical districts all came together in such a perfect way. One thing I was so appreciative of was the time to ourselves. While mostly regimented, you'll be given the latter half of each day to go off on your own to see the beauty of each country and spend time as a group removed from program activities. It's different from any other study abroad, as all of your classwork will be finished by the time you leave, which essentially makes the end of the program its own academic vacation with a cohort of new friends. I remember feeling skeptical about applying, but don't be! The program is truly the best this school has to offer, and I'm sure it will change your life the way it changed mine!”
--Aidan Birjandi, History, Middle Eastern Studies

“Ten years from now, on a beautiful beach sipping my iced vanilla latte, I'm sure to reminisce about NSP. A program like this helped me discover a lot about myself as well as the world around us. It not only taught me how to read the past in order to understand the future but also helped me discover my interests better. This semester was the most challenging so far in my undergrad journey, but that is what made it more memorable. I polished my critical thinking, time management skills, and most importantly, became proficient in communication. The professors made sure that each and every student learnt the concepts and left each session with a better understanding. My favorite part of the NSP classes was the class discussions because you learn a lot just by listening to your peers. Something that I really appreciate about this journey is that you will be surrounded by people who are equally driven or even sharper than you.  I applied to this program to view the world through the lens of a benevolent seeker. NSP fulfilled not only that but also humbled me every single time we learned about the hardships people went through. Apart from the academic experience, living together in a hostel was something entirely new for me — having never lived in one before, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. I made the best of friends, shared cultures (having ramen in Chinatown and trying local coffee was so fun), and learned a lot about each other.  NSP taught me that not every story is about victory and loss. There are many more hidden stories that don't fall in this black and white zone but are equally important. Memoir and testimonial readings were the most exciting yet emotional parts of the program. Movie evenings were where we shared the weight of those stories together, along with sharing pizzas. Overall, to future NSP members I would like to say — life is too short to miss an experience like this. It's a one-time shot; take it or regret it for the rest of your life.”
--Minali Rathod, IRG, Economics

“From my junior year of high school, I knew that I wanted to participate in the Normandy Scholar Program. Now, nearly three years later, I am pleased that I was accepted into the program and that the experience did not disappoint. Contemporary media and public schooling present a narrow narrative of World War II and the Holocaust. While I entered the program expecting to know at least 30% of the course content, I quickly found that I knew far less. You will encounter worldviews and perspectives far different from your own - both in the content itself and from the people in your cohort. You will unearth biases within yourself that you hadn't known existed or had never fully confronted. And you will, without a doubt, become a better writer, reader, and person. Though the papers, projects, and sheer amount of pages assigned were difficult, the nearly one-month trip to Europe surpassed all expectations. Whether you want to or not, you will create incredible memories with the people in your cohort. From helping a Frenchman move a fridge from his house to truck in Arromanches-Les-Bains, to playing a pick-up game of soccer with local Berliners, the trip is equally about the scheduled visits on the itinerary and the little moments of humanity and community that you find in each place. You can look at all the pictures and still, nothing can fully immerse you in the one mile walk from E.Leclerc, a French grocery store, to Le Moulin Morin, or the glittering lights of Gdańsk as you float down the Vistula river. Lastly, the faculty of the Normandy Scholar Program are unparalleled in their knowledge, empathy, and tact in dealing with difficult subjects. I would recommend this program to any and all students interested in learning more about history, our present world, or themselves.”
--Jeremiah Clarke, IRG, Plan II

“I would recommend the Normandy Scholar Program to any student at UT without any reservations. There are few opportunities in life to immerse yourself so much in one topic and one cohort for four months. Over the course of the semester and the trip, you will learn as much about yourself as you will about the Second World War. Your classmates will go from strangers to great friends quickly. You will be pushed and challenged to be your best in class and will understand your academic limits much better than before. Your reading, writing, and reasoning will all improve. The professors are some of the best our university has to offer. After a semester of work and a trip of a lifetime, I truly felt like a different person on the other end.”
-- Judge Baskin, Journalism, Plan II

“I had extremely high expectations for the Normandy Scholars Program. It exceeded them beyond my wildest dreams. From the dark streets of London on night 1 to the setting sun over Berlin on night 27, I saw some of the coolest things I have ever seen, ate some great food, and got to do it all with amazing people, many of whom I hope to stay in contact with for years to come. I loved how we got to see places like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Omaha Beach, and the Reichstag soaked with so much historical grandeur that I could not help but stop and try to soak it all in. But we also visited places like the German and American cemeteries in Normandy, Treblinka, and Sachsenhausen that forced me to reckon with both the massive scale of destruction the war brought and the individual impact on the millions of lives it touched. That impact was further enhanced by the best semester in Austin I have had, which provided context, individual stories, and intellectual nuance that both fascinated me as a learner and made the trip even more rewarding. Getting to experience all sides of that experience alongside 17 incredibly smart friends and 5 amazing professors helped make my time in the Normandy Scholars Program something that I will never forget.”
--Bryce Cruise, History, IRG

Read More: NSP Testimonials since 2005.