New Fairmont State scholarship will help students study abroad
Nov. 29—FAIRMONT — A Marion County family is making it easier for Fairmont State students to study abroad.
Julie Teahan, Margaret Teahan, and John Teahan — children of Margaret Murphy "Midge" Teahan — have created a $25,000 endowed scholarship honoring their mother's love of world travel.
The Midge Teahan Travel Scholarship is for Fairmont State University students who wish to become lifelong learners of other cultures and experiences. Midge Teahan loved being involved in the academic community while her husband, John Michael Teahan, was an English professor at Fairmont State.
"This gift from the Teahan family ensures that students can broaden their educational exploration with immersive travel experiences that complement their fields of study. Opportunities to study abroad can be life-changing for college students, providing invaluable perspectives and fostering curiosity," Fairmont State Foundation President Rae Dyer said. "Each student who benefits from this scholarship will honor Midge's love for exploration and learning. We celebrate the Teahan family for providing this opportunity at Fairmont State University."
Teahan's children want to share their mother's love of world travel with students so they can become immersed in other cultures.
"You only grow when you're uncomfortable, and often you need to leave what you know to grow," Julie Teahan said. "We thought this scholarship would give students an opportunity to experience a different culture, place, and from that grow."
The Teahan family believes in the words of Irish poet W.B. Yeats to describe the life experiences of Midge and those they wish for Fairmont State University through the Midge Teahan Travel Scholarship, "There is another world, but it is in this one."
While Midge Teahan was born and raised in New York City, she has roots in West Virginia.
According to her obituary, "Midge Teahan's road to Appalachia started with her Scotch-Irish father, Dr. Wallace Brock Murphy who was born in Grafton, but traveled the world as the personal doctor for the famous American businessman, John Jacob Astor V. Her father bestowed his love of travel on his girls and Midge was always ready for her next journey."
"This scholarship presented by the Teahan family will open doors for many Fairmont State students to step into the international world and experience new communities and cultures," Educational Pathway for International Centers and Students Coordinator Sarah Sakaguchi said. "As a university, it is our mission to create global citizens and even more, global leaders.
"Students who travel abroad are more likely to graduate, to succeed, and have higher marketability in the job market. As we are revitalizing Study Abroad in a post pandemic world, understanding international cultures and fostering relationships is incredibly important and we are so grateful for this opportunity that the Teahan family has provided."
The Midge Teahan Travel Scholarship will be available for undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled full-time and have applied for a study abroad program. Preference will be given to undergraduate students. Students must be a resident of West Virginia and maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
