Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar

Ciao, Class of 2029

The MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar was established in 1992 by Thomas Fitzhugh III ’71 in honor of his father, Champe Fitzhugh, Jr. Tom was a National Merit Scholar, served as MSC Council President, and had a passion for international travel and history. His academic success and interests helped him achieve professional and personal success, and his experiences in the MSC Council and at Texas A&M instilled in him a desire to offer other students opportunities for their own personal and academic growth. In 2019, Dr. Patrick Conway, who attended the first trip in 1992, decided to further support the program that impacted him so much as a college student and beyond. He was also involved in the MSC Council as a student leader.

Participant Application Student Leader Application

Maximizing Your Leadership Potential

The program prepares incoming freshmen to maximize their educational and leadership opportunities while at Texas A&M University and serves as an introduction to how international experiences impact leadership.

Leadership Learning Abroad

The MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar, through a competitive process, selects up to 24 high-achieving Texas A&M freshmen to take part in an international, two week, personal and academic development program in their first college semester. The seminar begins in the fall and culminates with sessions throughout various locations during travel in Italy. Participants are selected through a competitive application process and will register for a non-credit bearing course taught by a Texas A&M faculty member (in-country) as part of the experience.

Through the Conway-Fitzhugh program, seminar participants attend sessions focused on helping them to:

Understand leadership in a global context.
Explore various aspects of leadership through lessons from content experts and site visits to culturally significant locations.
Understand the significance of personal integrity, situational complexities and dedication to values in shaping ethical leaders.
Understand the application of leadership through personal development and student organization involvement at Texas A&M.
Explore avenues for pursuing leadership opportunities in the future.

Leadership and life lessons taught on this trip will allow students to:

Identify and reflect on how differences in experiences, culture and history affect expectations, reactions, and leadership approaches;
Understand how personal strengths (CliftonStrengths®), values, and philosophies influence co-curricular and student leadership interests;
Practice reflective writing about their experience through blog and journal entries; and
Build a network and community of support with their peers.

Program Details

The 2025 MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar is tentatively scheduled from December 26, 2025 – January 9, 2026.

Trip Itinerary

Linked is the 2024 itinerary and will provide participants with a general overview of the trip. The 2026-27 trip will include similar visits and excursions, but will not be an exact replica of what is presented.

Download our sample itinerary

Participant Fees

$3200 per student** + “on-your-own” expenses*

Included in your participant fee:

Roundtrip airfare
Shuttle services
Lodging in each destination city
Excursion fees
Food not covered with “own-your-own” expenses*
Train tickets for travel between locations

*On Your Own Expenses

Some meals will be “on-your-own” to encourage city exploration, and will be at the expense of the participant.
Any excursions not included on the official itinerary will be at the expense of the participant.
Taxis and other forms of transportation outside of those provided through the trip will be at the expense of the participant.
Souvenirs and any other personal items purchased will be at the expense of the participant.

**Generous Support from Former Students and Donors

The total cost of the MSC Conway-Fitzhugh program is supplemented by generous gifts from former students and donors.
Each student pays a percentage of the total cost of their attendance, with the remaining expenses covered through these gifts.

Key Dates and Important Information

September 30 – Applications are Due
October 10 – Applicants Informed of Decision
October 24 – First Payment of $1,000 due
November 14– Second Payment of $1,000 due
December 1 – Final Payment of $1,200 due
December 26 – Depart for Italy!

Participants will be expected to attend 2-3 pre-trip orientation meetings as part of this experience.

Gluten Free Food Will Be Available.

Apply Now

Participant applications for the 2025 MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar will be open August 1 – September 30, 2025. Applicants should be first-time in college, high-achieving freshmen. NOTE: You must be logged in with your Texas A&M NetID and password to view the application.

Student Leader applications for the 2025 MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar are currently closed. Student leader applicants must be currently enrolled at Texas A&M at have a minimum GPA of 2.25, and they should have strong student leadership involvement experiences. Applicants who are former participants of the CFIHLS will be given additional priority in the selection process. NOTE: You must be logged in with your Texas A&M NetID and password to view the application.