VCU Student Studying in Morocco on NSEP Boren Scholarship

By Tom Gresham

Caitlin Canney, a senior in the Honors College at Virginia Commonwealth University, is studying in Morocco after being awarded a National Security Education Program David L. Boren Scholarship, a scholarship that focuses on geographic areas, languages and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security.

Canney, who is from Medford, Mass., is spending the 2009-10 academic year studying Arabic language and political science at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Canney is pursuing dual degrees in French and political science with a concentration in international relations and a minor in psychology at VCU. Upon graduation, Canney plans to continue her studies of linguistics and the Middle East in graduate school. Ultimately, she hopes to work for the U.S. State Department, possibly as a foreign service officer.

“Caitlin’s award of an NSEP Boren Scholarship attests to her impressive linguistic and cultural capabilities, not to mention her hard work and perseverance,” said Kathryn Murphy-Judy, Ph.D., associate professor of French in the VCU School of World Studies. “We know that she is a wonderful ambassador to Morocco.”

The NSEP David L. Boren Scholarships are funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and provide up to $20,000 of support for students. The scholarships are intended to provide support to U.S. undergraduates who will pursue the study of languages and cultures currently underrepresented in study abroad. In return for the scholarship, recipients commit to working for the federal government for at least one year after the completion of their education.

Students and alumni interested in learning more about the NSEP Boren Scholarship and other national scholarship programs at VCU should visit http://www.honors.vcu.edu/nationalscholar, or contact Jeff Wing, national scholarship coordinator in the Honors College at VCU, at jawing@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1803.