August 11, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

Prior to this year, first-generation college student Jerica DeGroat ‘27 had never left the United States.

Between costs, family obligations, and the time commitment of pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, the single mother of three never even thought she would have the opportunity to travel abroad, let alone study overseas.

That all changed when Rebecca Root, PhD, professor of political science and international studies and director of Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Office of Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships, encouraged her to apply for a prestigious study abroad scholarship.

“You know how many times I kept telling myself, ‘I can’t do it, I don’t even want to apply, I have three kids?’ And then professor Root was like, ‘What do you have to lose?” recalled DeGroat, of Hackensack, NJ.

So DeGroat took the leap. “Then everything aligned,” she said.

She was awarded a prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. The highly-competitive scholarship program is geared toward Pell Grant recipients. The program provides “merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad,” according to its website.

For DeGroat, earning the scholarship meant she could take part in a Ramapo-faculty-led program in Lisbon, Portugal to gain a global perspective on public policies around drug use and helping those with substance use disorders.

As a substance use disorders minor, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

Learning in Portugal

DeGroat joined 10 other Roadrunners on the weeklong program, titled “Global Clinical Social Work in Portugal: From Policy to Practice to Address Substance Use Disorders,”  led by Professor of Social Work Stephanie Sarabia, PhD.

“The point of the trip is to dramatically and very quickly show students that there are other ways to approach drug policy that could have very different results based on those decisions,” said Sarabia, who has been leading Roadrunners on the summer trips to Portugal since 2017.

Portugal has decriminalized drug use, but drugs are not legal, Sarabia explained. “So there is a distinction where if you are a drug user and you have less than a 10-day supply of drugs, you do not go to jail,” she said. Based on assessments of individuals, the government offers services such as housing, job training, mental health treatment, and substance abuse treatment, she said. “It’s strictly voluntary, but also this program is buttressed by universal and free healthcare for all,” she said.

During their time in Portugal this summer, Roadrunners took part in eye-opening visits to places such as: Parliament, where laws are passed; Casal Ventosa, where the country’s drug epidemic started; methadone vans, where users are offered methadone; and an overdose prevention site called an assisted consumption room, where users use drugs under supervision.

“The experience was great … academically it was wonderful,” DeGroat said.

“They just have a different approach. They have the same purpose, to get people the help they need, but here, it’s so stigmatizing, and that turns people away. There it was the total opposite. I am just amazed at how it actually works there,” DeGroat said.

Helping Others

The experience had a profound effect on DeGroat. “Going there, and seeing it hands on, it makes me want to do clinical work, because I see there really is hope,” she said.

The eye-opening study abroad experience and the encouragement she received to apply for the Gilman Scholarship, combined with the supportive community she has found at Ramapo, has also led DeGroat to build hope for her own future.

She is a scholar in the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program which creates access to higher education for state residents from backgrounds of economic and educational disadvantage, and provides financial support, alumni connections and services such as one-on-one advising and tutoring. She has also taken advantage of the College’s We Care Program, which offers upcycled laptops and other supports.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better support system, honestly,” she said.

After earning her BSW, DeGroat plans to pursue her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Ramapo.

Ramapo is committed to creating upward social mobility, supporting students and empowering them to thrive. In the Best Colleges 2026 rankings released by U.S. News and World Report, Ramapo College broke into the top 100 schools in the Top Performers on Social Mobility category – an indicator of the ability to improve one’s socioeconomic standing through education and career opportunities. Ramapo’s 34-point jump to #85 in the category, the highest increase by a New Jersey institution, is a testament to its strong infrastructure to support upward social mobility.