A unique feature of W&J College, the Magellan Project is a project of possibilities. When you pursue a Magellan Project, you choose to take the lead in your educational experience. W&J College provides funding so that you can set sail in the summer months, exploring a passion, an interest, an internship, a study abroad opportunity, a research trip, or all of the above. You're out of the classroom, learning the ropes of whatever you've set your sights on. It could be right around the corner or right around the world.
What is a Magellan Project?
A Magellan Project begins with your idea to create an opportunity to pursue your passions in an original way. Faculty advisors provide the coaching and support you need to take your project from idea to reality. For your project, you write your proposal, detail the plan, and set the budget. Once approved and funded, your adventure begins. On this journey, you'll discover more than you might have imagined.
![Marcy Saldivar Magellan photo 2 Marcy Salvidar poses in Portugal where she went to study attitudes around disability for her Magellan Project.](http://uwev.softlawinternationale.net/wp-content/uploads/Marcy-Saldivar-Magellan-photo-2-scaled.jpg)
Hear Their Stories
The best way to see the diversity and potential of the Magellan Project is to see what others have done and be inspired to discover what you can do.
The Franklin Magellan Award allowed me to pursue things that I had always hoped to do for a better future. It’s one of the reasons I chose to come to W&J.
The support we have through W&J to be able to travel is unique. That’s specific to W&J. By the time I graduate from W&J, my goal is to have visited every continent. Thanks to the Magellan Project, I’m already halfway there.
“I went to Italy to study art and architecture,” Messersmith said of the pre-pandemic project. “One of the pieces I saw in an art show was a short film, and I just kept thinking, ‘I want to create something like that.’ So, we kind of created my own section on film where I learned how to edit videos and how to take videos and how to do interviews and put them all together.”