founders STORY

Brooklyn, New York

In September 2019, my wife and I were visiting New York City and stopped near the Brooklyn Bridge at the familiar spot where so many people pause to take a photo. I was wearing a University of Toledo t-shirt and in that moment, I found myself reflecting on how much I had been able to do and see in my life—and how much of that traced back to the education, relationships, and opportunities Toledo had given me.

Like many people, I hadn’t always appreciated my college experience in real time. But standing there, it became clear: my university had opened doors I couldn’t have imagined, shaping my career, my worldview, and my confidence to move through unfamiliar spaces.

That perspective deepened years earlier through exposure. In 2014, I participated in a rotation program at Parker Hannifin that allowed me to travel across the United States—an experience that expanded my sense of scale and possibility. In 2015, my work took me outside the country for the first time, traveling regularly to Mexico for several years. Crossing the border month after month, seeing how different life could feel just miles apart, fundamentally changed how I understood the world.

But the most transformative moment came during my first overseas trip to Barcelona. The architecture, the pace of life, the language, the culture—it all challenged the assumptions I didn’t realize I was carrying. That experience reshaped how I saw the world and my place within it.

This has all sparked a conviction: exposure is not a privilege—it’s essential.

Too many students never have these moments—not because of a lack of talent or ambition, but because access, resources, and guidance aren’t evenly distributed. Alumni Abroad Foundation was created to help change that reality—by expanding access to global experiences, strengthening alumni connections, and ensuring that more students can see what’s possible for themselves, earlier in life, when it matters most.

Ready to be part of the cycle?