President’s Grant for Study Abroad
awards exceed $100,000
More than $100,000 was recently awarded to 39 Western Michigan University students to study a foreign language abroad through the President’s Grant for Study Abroad administered by the Haenicke Institute for Global Education. WMU President John M. Dunn presided at the awards ceremony held on April 17 in the Bernhard Center Brown and Gold Room.
The event also honored two students who received full-ride scholarships to study in Japan and Germany for the 2008/2009 academic year: Janelle Garchow, a junior majoring in economics, will attend Keio University in Tokyo, Japan; and, David Gregg, a senior majoring in psychology, will attend Freie Universitat of Berlin.
In his remarks at the awards ceremony, Dunn emphasized his commitment to international education and said he hopes to “double or even quadruple” WMU’s current annual average of sending more than 500 students overseas to study or work.
“I am passionate about the importance of students having the opportunity to talk, live, study and eat with people from diverse backgrounds,” Dunn told the recipients and their guests. “The ability to do that is the greatest gift we give our students. I have known that ever since I was a student from a small town in Illinois who had his views of the world changed by attending a university that attracted people from around the globe. You’re about to discover the truth of what Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, ‘Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.’”
The 39 PGSA recipients are enrolled for summer, fall, or academic-year overseas programs in various destinations (see list below) to study German, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Chinese, or the South African-based languages, Xhosa, Afrikaans, or Zulu. Many students will complete additional non-language courses taught in the native tongue or English that are applicable to their WMU degrees.
The Haenicke Institute administers the PGSA in two cycles each academic year from an endowment worth nearly $5 million. The award is primarily based on financial need, with smaller grants awarded for merit only. Five students received $8,000 awards in the PGSA’s spring 2008 cycle.
Former WMU President Diether Haenicke established the grant in 1994. A private donor later set up an endowment now valued at nearly $5 million to help students study abroad who might not have been able to afford it otherwise. 625 WMU students have received $1.2 million in scholarships since the grant's creation, according to Brett Berquist, executive director of international programs.
“The PGSA makes a semester or a year abroad possible for many WMU students,” Berquist said. “It has played a pivotal role in developing international learning opportunities for students and promoting foreign language study at our university.”
The deadlines to apply for the PGSA are March 15 to study abroad the following fall semester or academic year and October 15 to study abroad the following spring semester. Applications are available at the Haenicke Institute on the second floor of Ellsworth Hall, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, via e-mail at study-abroad@wmich.edu, or visit the Scholarships page of the study abroad Web site at: www.wmich.edu/studyabroad.
The study abroad office hosts daily information sessions and walk-in advising. Days and times are listed on the Web site, or call (269) 387-5890.
Spring 2008 President's Grant for Study Abroad Recipients | | First | Last | Language | Destination | | MacAllister | Armstrong | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Jennifer | Barns | Arabic | Alexandria University, Egypt | | Allison | Barsamian | German | Bonn University, Germany | | Justin | Beach | Arabic | Alexandria University, Egypt | | Cheryl | Cavalear | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | LaTasha | Chaffin | Xhosa | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Kenzie | Clancy | Spanish | Veritas University, Costa Rica | | Jessica | Clanton | Xhosa | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Angela | Dally | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Kiah | Dana | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Brett | Ellis | Arabic | Alexandria University, Egypt | | Amber | Emens | Spanish | Veritas University, Costa Rica | | Lindsey | Hale | Arabic | American University Cairo, Egypt | | Kaleb | Hoyt | Japanese | Rikkyo University, Japan | | Qandeel | Irfan | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Jaime | LeBlanc-Hadley | Chinese | Beijing Language and Culture, China | | Steven | McKenna | Japanese | Keio University, Japan | | Mark | McKeon | Arabic | American University Cairo, Egypt | | Kelly | McPhee | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Drew | Morrison | Japanese | Ritsumeikan University, Japan | | Kevin | Nester | Japanese | Ritsumeikan University, Japan | | Natalie | O'Keefe | Xhosa & Afrikaans | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Justin | Pace | French | Catholic University, France | | David | Parker | Japanese | Rikkyo University, Japan | | Ashly | Rice | Japanese | Nihon University, Japan | | Kathleen | Riddle | German | Bonn University, Germany | | Paul | Roehsner | Japanese | Rikkyo University, Japan | | Miranda | Rosenberg | Zulu or Xhosa | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Melissa | Rozeboom | Spanish | Universitat de Lleida, Spain | | Jesse | Shaw | Japanese | Otaru University of Commerce, Japan | | Brendan | Squires | Japanese | Otaru University of Commerce, Japan | | Ernesto | Torres | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Catherine | Upchurch | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Hannah | Vis | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Brittany | Waddell | Xhosa | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Aldric | Weeks | Xhosa | University of Cape Town, South Africa | | Elizabeth | Wood | Spanish | Universidad de Burgos, Spain | | Wei Jun | Young | Japanese | Ritsumeikan University, Japan |
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