1. W&L Without Borders

"I've changed a lot in the past four years, and a lot of it is because of the opportunities I've had here."

~ Brandon Bishop '26

Brandon Bishop '26 arrived at Washington and Lee University having never left the United States. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native didn't even have a passport. Little did he know that his decision to register for an introductory Arabic course during his first Fall Term would become the foundation for a global education, one that would take him to 21 countries, four continents and even into an unexpected love story forged during a political uprising abroad.

Bishop, a computer science major with an Arabic minor, says he signed up for his first Arabic course because he thought it would be an interesting challenge. Through the course, he met associate professor of Arabic Anthony Edwards, who quickly recognized his curiosity and grit.

"The first semester of Arabic was a little bumpy," Edwards says, "but he was dedicated. He always put the time in. It's been great seeing him navigate adulthood and seeing how this interest turned into 'Wow, I really like Arabic.'"

Edwards encouraged him to pursue study abroad early on in his W&L career, guiding him through the application process for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a summer Arabic scholarship granted by the Center for International Education and W&L's Johnson Opportunity Grant. Combined, the awards funded Bishop's intensive summer in Amman, Jordan, following a Spring Term course in Copenhagen, Demark, on corporate social responsibility.

Bishops says that landing abroad in Jordan felt overwhelming.

"I remember getting to Jordan and being so lost," he says. "Everything was just so different and so foreign to me."

The discomfort soon gave way to connection. After nervously ordering falafel in halting Arabic his first week, he soon became a regular at the neighborhood food stall.

"By my last day, they had become like family to me," he says of the family who owned the business. "They even gave me a little gift to bring home."

Jordan changed everything, Bishop says; it's where he crystallized his interest in languages and travel. His next study abroad experience took him to Seoul, South Korea, for Spring Term 2024. He then embarked on a summer Arabic independent study in the West Bank. This was followed by a yearlong fellowship in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX-YP), a fully funded U.S.- German exchange program that immerses emerging professionals in intensive language study, academic coursework, internships and cultural exchange.

Bishop says the West Bank left a particularly deep mark. In Hebron, Bishop spent his days at an Arabic language institute and evenings at a local café, where he became close with the co-owners and nearby families. When a Scout leader learned that Bishop was a photographer, he invited him to run a photojournalism workshop for Palestinian youth. Bishop traveled to neighboring cities, documented daily life and listened to residents' stories of resilience. One child stayed with him: a 7-year-old who sold cups of corn on the street to support his family.

"That kid taught me so much," he says. "Even despite all that hardship, he could be so joyful."

His CBYX-YP year took him across Germany, beginning with language school in Berlin, followed by a semester at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and a full-time internship with Amazon Germany. There, he automated processes that saved hundreds of thousands of euros in labor costs, developed a KPI dashboard adopted across five stations and mentored international colleagues. More importantly, it clarified his career path.

"It taught me that I shouldn't go into computer science just to make a lot of money," he says. "I want to do something in public service or international relations."

All his time abroad has informed his trajectory, but his most life-changing trip was a stop in Bangladesh in the summer of 2024. Between programs, Bishop traveled to Dhaka to visit a friend from Washington and Lee. While hanging out at a café, he met the young woman who would later become his wife. Days later, widespread protests erupted in Bangladesh, starting as a campaign for reform of public-sector job quotas and escalating quickly into chaos, violence and regime change. Bishop attended a protest to take photographs and was detained by the police. His W&L classmate had left several days earlier, and his future wife was the only person he knew in the country. He called her and she came to retrieve him from custody, taking him to her home and introducing him to her family.

Then, the government shut down all communication.

"All Wi-Fi, all internet, all cell connection - everything," he remembers. "It was like Covid, but with no internet." With the city on lockdown, Bishop and his wife's family cooked, talked, waited and learned about one another without the noise of the world intruding.

"We all got to know each other very well," he says.

When the blackout was over and Bishop was able to leave the country, the pair stayed in touch across continents and visited each other in Europe during his time in Germany. He proposed that December in Ireland, and the couple married in Dhaka the following summer, just before Bishop began an internship at the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Grameen Bank, where he studied microfinance and social entrepreneurship. Bishop is in the process of applying to graduate school programs, but because his wife's U.S. immigration process could take several years, he is also considering spending the next year abroad either through work, a grant-funded opportunity like the Fulbright program or an Arabic language program somewhere they can more easily be together.

Bishop's time on campus has been no less productive considering his time abroad. He has served as president of W&L's QuestBridge chapter and chair of the Nebraska delegation for Mock Convention. To date, he has completed over 1,200 hours of community service and is serving on W&L's International Education Committee this Winter Term. He also co-taught a course section of FYE-100, which helps first-year students transition into college life, with Laura Ulmer, associate dean of student engagement.

"Brandon's natural ability to connect with his peers and willingness to share his story encouraged deep dialogue and lasting friendships within the class," Ulmer remembers. "Brandon's leadership in facilitating class discussion helped students share openly and created a supportive environment. I was also immediately impressed by Brandon's interest and commitment to learning about other cultures. This commitment has led him to amazing opportunities in other countries, and he is passionate about making a difference during his time in each location. Brandon leaves a positive mark wherever he goes."

"The faculty and administrators here who have encouraged me and made
time for me as I've pursued what I want to do has been the best part," Bishop says. "I've changed a lot in the past four years, and a lot of it is because of the opportunities I've had here."

He says that one lesson has grounded him more than any other.

"The big tie between all the places I've been and things I've done," he says, "is that everybody just wants the same things. Food, a house, clothes, security."

For the student who once hesitated to order falafel in Arabic, this realization has become both compass and calling.

See more of Bishop's photography portfolio.

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Explore Global Learning & Fellowships at W&L

The opportunities that shaped Brandon Bishop '26 are part of a robust ecosystem of funding, advising and global engagement programs available to all W&L students.

Students interested in studying abroad should begin with the Center for International Education, which provides guidance on program selection, credit transfer, international safety and funding sources, including the Gilman Program, CIE summer scholarships and the Johnson Opportunity Grant.

Those pursuing nationally competitive awards, such as the Truman Scholarship, Boren Scholarship, Critical Language Scholarship and CBYX-YP exchange program, can work directly with the Office of Fellowships, which offers personalized advising, essay feedback and interview preparation.

For students exploring career-connected international pathways, the Office of Career and Professional Development and CIE help integrate internships, language study and experiential opportunities across borders.

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