I am about to begin my
senior year at the University of Arkansas. I am majoring in communication,
minoring in gender studies, and perhaps after this study abroad experience,
maybe even Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor too.
I actually switched to
this major my sophomore year. I originally came in as a Kinesiology and
Recreation and Sports Management double major. It wasn’t until I started
getting involved in student affairs at the University of Arkansas and I took
Advanced Public Speaking with Dr. Lynn Meade that I realized three things:
First she is absolutely the best teacher I have ever had in terms of both
educating and inspiring me as a student. I changed my major, because I wanted
to do what Dr. Lynn Meade does: Inform, inspire, and speak publicly. With that
being said I also realized the next two things…what I really wanted to do in life and the actual idea of how I could do
it. Ever since, I have been on the fast track, no stop, pursuance of a
communication degree at the University of Arkansas with a full-variety of
student affairs experience. My goal is to ultimately one day oversee an
institution as a chancellor.
Where will you be going abroad, what will you be
doing there and how will it impact your academics/degree completion/life goals?
It is interesting how
it all turned out for me. Last February, I walked into Dr. Schulte’s office to
talk about my thesis, and the conversation turned to how I have not fulfilled
my world language/culture requirement…the next thing I know I am leaving her
office that Tuesday with a Friday deadline to even apply to the program. It has
been a true blessing how it has worked out.
I will reside at Grey
College, Durham University, for the first three and a half weeks. Then we will
stay in York for a few days, before finishing the final week in London.
Excursions are to include visits to Lindisfarne, Durham Castle and Cathedral,
the Tower of London, York, Canterbury, Rochester, Hastings, and Sutton Hoo.
“Independently” members
of my study abroad group and I will travel to Dublin, Paris, and Nottingham on
each of our three weekends that we have off. Essentially the aim of the entire
program is to provide an introduction to English history and culture from the
Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and Middle English periods.
As mentioned earlier,
this will survive actually in a variety of facets for my career goals. It will
count as my 6 hours needed to suffice my world culture requirement, it counts towards
a Medieval and Renaissance studies minor should I choose to pursue it, it counts
towards my gender studies minor, and it will also serve toward any honors
credits that I need. I plan to do some side work at Durham University and
interview particular administration to gain an international perspective
towards education while working on my honor’s thesis.
What are some of the more unique/interesting details
of your study abroad program?
After talking to Dr.
Quinn, the faculty member leading this program, he has agreed that I could do
my world culture final project on the folklore of Robin Hood. Robin Hood was my
favorite Disney movie growing up, and from an early age on I was always
fascinated with English history, so this trip will enable me to learn in a
structured and independent environment. I think being able to go to Nottingham
and Sherwood Forest for a weekend and during the festivals is going to be one
of the coolest things possible.
Durham University,
where I will be residing, was actually one of the locations used to film the
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter films.
What is most exciting to you about going
abroad?
Really it has to be the
actual getting to go abroad itself. Because I am an New Student Orientation
Coordinator and Resident Assistant in University Housing, my time commitments
are pretty much 10 ¾ months out of the year. Because this study abroad program
is from July 7th-August 10th it is the only program I
have ever been able to participate in, and coincidentally it is probably the
program I would have wanted to participate in the most all along. It is a new
program, the first year the U of A has conducted it.
What does earning this scholarship mean to you? How
does it feel to have been chosen for a National award? What was the application process like for
you?
Without a doubt it
means possibility. I say that, because receiving this scholarship was the most
instrumental piece in determining my financial eligibility in studying abroad.
So it is an absolute blessing to have received this scholarship, and it gives
me encouragement and hope that there are generous donors locally, regionally,
and internationally that are continuing to support the hard-work and effort of
students.
Actually receiving the
scholarship itself was a bit of a surprise…I had a good feeling about it, but
you just never can know for sure. 2700 students applied for this scholarship in
the summer, and only 700 were awarded summer grants so it was definitely
exciting to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship.
The application was
intense. I spent many days, several essay drafts, and a lot of time personally
deciding what carry-on, service project to do if I was chosen for this scholarship.
Knowing that there were multiple increments of the application and all were
equally important decisive factors in selecting the winners. I personally want
to thank Meredith McKee, Stephanie Schulte, Ph.D., Felisha Perrodin, and Kendra
Buchele for working with me in formatting and perfecting every step of the
application. Looking back in retrospect, I can’t see how I would have been able
to be as competitive of an applicant as I was without their support and
assistance.
---
About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program) offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program) offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
