Two California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) students have received prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, allowing them to spend this spring semester studying abroad.
Junior Kathy Tran will be at City University of Hong Kong studying international business and Chinese. Senior Sienne Diaz will be finishing her bachelor’s of fine arts degree at the University of Hertfordshire in England.
Tran and Diaz are among just 800 undergraduate students from more than 320 colleges and universities nationwide to receive the scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The program provides financial support for students who might not otherwise be able to afford to study abroad.
“The goal of the Gilman Scholarship program is for U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world,” said Linda Olson Levy, CSULB's advisor for education abroad and international scholarships. “We are proud to once again have exceptional students chosen for this scholarship. We are confident that they will represent CSULB well overseas and will return home with a deeper understanding of the world in which we live.”
Both Diaz and Tran have studied abroad before. Last summer, Tran traveled to China for an Asian studies class led by Professor Teri Yamada (Asian and Asian American studies) and then took a culture class in Cambodia with Alex Morales, director of school improvement for the Center for Language Minority Education and Research. Her experiences left her wanting to participate in a longer study abroad program.
“No matter whether you have a 4.0 or the best teacher recommendations, nothing compares to having the full experience of being overseas,” said Tran, who is working on a double major in international business and Chinese and a minor in Spanish. “When you are overseas, your view of the world changes drastically.”
Diaz also traveled to Cambodia after receiving a scholarship established by CSULB President F. King Alexander for the Art and Social Action short-term study abroad program led by Art Professor Carlos Silveira. There, Diaz designed and taught art lessons for girls who had been rescued from sex trafficking operations. In England this spring, Diaz will focus on refining her art skills. She also plans to once again get involved in the community.
“Hertfordshire has a prestigious program comparable to the illustration program at CSULB,” said Diaz who recently completed her bachelor’s degree in art education at CSULB and plans to get her single-subject credential in art after finishing her bachelor’s in fine arts. “I really wanted to focus on honing my skills. I hope that my work in the community will be an extension of my education, that it will help me fully immerse myself in the experience.”
When Diaz’ study abroad program ends in June, she hopes to participate in a short-term Summer Arts in Florence program. She will complete her student teaching credential at CSULB in spring 2011.
Tran will return home in May but hopes to get involved in the Strategic Language Institute to continue studying Chinese. She is also applying for an internship with a non-profit organization in Indonesia that promotes public health and economic development and is applying to the Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Queretaro, Mexico to study for one year to enhance her Spanish speaking skills.
-- Linda Fontes
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