Arabic, Mandarin and Korean are the languages four Michigan State University students will study abroad as recent recipients of a Boren Scholarship.
This year 868 applications were received from undergraduate students across the country and 165 David L. Boren Scholarships were awarded.
Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests. MSU has produced 31 Boren award winners (either scholarship or fellowship) since 1991.
- Elizabeth Dunham is a senior majoring in international relations in James Madison College and Arabic in the College of Arts and Letters. Originally from Kalkaska, Michigan, Dunham is planning to study Arabic in Morocco for the summer and 2014-15 academic year. She wants to work in international development with USAID.
- Mykala Ford is an Honors College junior majoring in international relations in James Madison College and Arabic in the College of Arts and Letters. Originally from Traverse City, Michigan, Ford is planning to study Arabic in Morocco for the summer and 2014-15 academic year. She wants to be a foreign service officer for the federal government after graduation.
- Christopher Murphy is a junior majoring in Chinese and French in the College of Arts and Letters. Originally from Monroe, Michigan, Murphy plans to study Mandarin in China for the 2014-2015 academic year. Murphy wants to be a political officer in the foreign service branch of the federal government.
- Alexis Pierce is an Honors College junior majoring in international relations and comparative cultures and politics in James Madison College. Originally from Brighton, Michigan, Pierce is planning to study Korean in South Korea for the 2014-2015 academic year. She wants to work for the Central Intelligence Agency or U.S. Department of State.
“With goals of working in various branches of the federal government, these students will benefit tremendously from the Boren Scholarship,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College. “Each student has taken their study of languages seriously, and their experiences over the next year will only serve to enhance their education.”