Office announces winner of contest

By Jennifer Pagano
Staff Writer

For one Purdue student, an essay she submitted to a writing contest meant much more than an assignment. It provided the opportunity for worldwide travel.

Candice Villegas, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts, won two free roundtrip tickets to London through the Study Abroad office for an essay she wrote about a previous study abroad trip she took.

"To save $500 on a fun trip made me ecstatic," Villegas said.

Villegas studied at the University of Wollongong in Australia and wrote about her two favorite moments of the trip. She wrote about backpacking all over the beautiful country and traveling to New Zealand with friends. Her essay was chosen out of 38 others.

She was motivated to write her winning essay by her best friend — who will be escorting her to London next Winter Break. Villegas said she figured "somebody's gotta win" and submitted her entry never expecting she would win.

Her best friend, Teresa Smiley, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts, said, "I inspired Candice and motivated her to try it."

Both of them studied abroad in Australia. Smiley said she would have written an essay, but she was disqualified because she works in the Study Abroad office. However, the two made a pact that whichever one won the contest would take the other on a trip.

When Smiley found out her best friend won the first words out of her mouth were, "She’s the greatest."

Michael Starks is the marketing coordinator for the Study Abroad office and he read the essays. "The essays are always fun to read," he said.

The travel agency Fantastic Journeys, 107 N. Chauncey Ave., West Lafayette, donated the tickets. This agency really helped out because the first company to donate the tickets for the contest went bankrupt. Starks said businesses donate a lot to the office and so they are able to offer these contests to students.

The essay contest runs every spring. In addition to that contest, the Study Abroad office offers many other ones to make it easy for students to win prizes year round. The office holds a photo contest, which a travel agency in Lafayette provides tickets for, and it hosts a welcome back party with prizes for students who have traveled before.

"It’s amazing to me because there are all these chances to win," Starks said.

Even though both women have gone abroad before, Villegas and Smiley continue to travel. They encourage anyone interested in studying abroad to go for it.

"It gave me the chance get an insight on the world and now I see things in a different light," Villegas said.

They are both excited for winter break because they will be touring London and then partying on New Years Eve in Amsterdam. Villegas said because her plane tickets will be paid for, she now has the opportunity to go back to Europe this summer and backpack again. Villegas said, "I am ecstatic!"

For more information on upcoming contests and opportunities to travel for free, visit the Study Abroad Web site at www.studyabroad.purdue.edu. Villegas’ winning essay is posted on the Web site as well.

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Office announces winner of contest

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