Music major Willa Albrecht ’25's love for singing led her on a remarkable journey. After a study away semester in Dublin, she developed a deep affection for Irish traditional music. With the help of a 2024 Oldenborg International Research and Travel Grant, she returned to Ireland to explore the music, artists, and places where the magic thrives.

How Grants Foster Cultural Immersion

Professor Eileen J. Cheng emphasizes that the summer travel grants offer students the chance to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture they are studying. Grant recipients often find the experience transformative, enabling them to view their own culture with new perspectives.For Willa Albrecht, her time in Dublin was filled with unique experiences. The "singing sessions" at the Cobblestone Pub were a highlight. On Sunday evenings, 30 to 40 amateur musicians gathered in a back room. As the lights dimmed, one by one, they rose to share a song. This musical tradition was not only important to Ireland but also to Albrecht personally.Returning to Pomona, Albrecht had several questions. She wondered how Irish trad music became so essential to Ireland's cultural identity and how it remained alive and vibrant. She also wanted to understand what made this tradition so communal.The Fleadh Cheoil, the world's largest Irish music festival, provided her with the opportunity to seek answers. Attending the festival in August, she saw thousands of musicians, with every storefront having someone singing or playing the fiddle. The singing sessions were again a highlight, and she felt a strong sense of community."Irish trad music builds community by blurring the line between audience and performer," Albrecht discovered. Everyone, regardless of age, could become a performer. If someone was singing a known song, others would join in, creating a fun and inclusive atmosphere.Albrecht was also drawn to some performers by a special quality she called "nyah." It's a difficult-to-define emotion that she continues to explore in her senior project.For Katie Stuart ’25, the Oldenborg grant allowed her to return to Nantes, France, where she had studied abroad. She is majoring in romance languages and literatures and used the grant to explore the cultural significance of Breton, a regional language.Stuart realized that in France, there are many regional languages besides French. This summer, she interviewed people from minority linguistic communities to understand how language and culture are related. Her senior thesis will also explore Basque.In 2021, a new French law recognized regional languages as part of French heritage. Dual language and language immersion schools have opened, and road signs are written in both French and Breton. Stuart found books about learning Breton and children's books translated into the language.Through in-person interviews, Stuart learned about the personal experiences of Breton speakers. She discovered how, where, and why they learned the language and the opportunities they have to use it in daily life.Many people were surprised that an American would come to France to research the Breton language. Stuart realized the importance of promoting the visibility of this language and ensuring its continuation.These two students' experiences demonstrate the profound impact of international research travel grants. They allow students to immerse themselves in different cultures, explore unique traditions, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.