VCU Students Revel in National Summer Scholarships Abroad

By Tom Gresham

Before last summer, Sara Mason had never traveled outside of the United States. However, Mason applied for the exclusive Fulbright UK Summer Institute program through VCU’s National Scholarship Office in the Honors College and became one of just 30 Americans selected to participate in the program, joining top students from countries around the world.

Mason, now a sophomore majoring in advertising in the School of Mass Communications, said her time abroad is one that affected her profoundly. She spent five weeks in the Fulbright UK Summer Institute program, studying largely at Newcastle University in northeast England.

“It was a life-changing experience for sure,” said Mason, a member of the VCU Honors College. “I learned about being independent, and I learned a lot about myself. I learned that you’re capable of a lot more than you think that you are, especially if you love what you’re doing.”

Mason is one of several VCU students who in recent years have taken advantage of prestigious national scholarship opportunities that are available for travel abroad in the summer. These scholarships give students the chance to pursue an international education that augments their studies so that they can return for the fall semester with new skills, experiences and confidence.

Rachel Sine, a junior, received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) last summer that allowed her to spend 10 weeks studying Hindi in India. Sine, also a member of the Honors College, is majoring in international studies with concentrations in international relations and Southeast Asia studies and a minor in religious studies. In addition to her CLS award, Sine earned a Boren Scholarship to study in India for the entire 2011-12 academic year. She reported for the Boren Scholarship the day after the CLS ended.

During her stint with the CLS, Sine took Hindi classes every day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by hours of homework. However, the intensive study did not keep her from getting out into her surroundings and enjoying the local culture.

In light of her interest in a future career in international relations, Sine said her summer experience was ideal.

“Regardless of what career I end up choosing, this experience will still prove to be valuable to me,” Sine said. “The course was extremely challenging academically, physically and, at times, emotionally. During this period, I was able to learn a lot about myself and how to deal with the daily struggles of living in a foreign country.”

Carolyn Morris, a veteran of study abroad – “if I sit around for too long in the same place, I start to get antsy” – said the challenging nature of living and learning in a foreign country can be its greatest asset. Morris, a graduate of the Honors College and a current graduate student in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, spent the past summer studying Azeri language and culture in Azerbaijan on a Critical Language Scholarship. Morris battled acute tonsillitis and swarms of mosquitoes, not to mention a new time zone and unfamiliar food, but she fought through and found the experience rewarding.

At the outset of her stay, she struggled to communicate and was confused by her surroundings. By the end, she was holding lengthy conversations and feeling comfortable in this foreign place.

“You learn a lot about yourself when you take yourself out of your comfort level,” Morris said. “You find out what you’re willing to do and how hard you’re willing to work.”

At Newcastle, Mason studied journalism alongside American students from colleges across the country, as well as with students from a host of other countries. Mason said it was spending time with peers from countries such as Egypt, Italy, Spain, China, Taiwan, France and England that proved to be the most eye-opening aspect of her experience.

“I loved taking classes with international students,” Mason said. “I learned a lot about so many different cultures in such a short time.”

Mason said the interaction between students from different countries helped dispel myths that they had about one another. She noted that many students held distorted views of American life in the same way that she had misperceptions of their lives. For instance, she learned to shed the stereotypes she had of the British.

Interaction with the local people frequently emerges as a chief advantage to studying abroad. Sine said it was a highlight of her CLS term in India, and the local people helped inspire her to continue with the difficult study of Hindi.

“Anytime I was out around town shopping, sightseeing, etc., people were so shocked to hear me speak Hindi,” Sine said. “Sometimes people would chuckle, but most locals were so thrilled that I was learning their language. Just with a simple ‘Aap Kaise Hain’ (How are you?) most people responded positively and would encourage me to speak more Hindi.”

Forming connections with locals proved to be the highlight of Morris’s trip, rather than anything particularly grand. For instance, she loved when her language skills improved to the point that she could have personal exchanges with the host family that had been very kind to her, and she reveled in an impromptu guitar session a friend held in a parking lot that attracted a group of passing kids.

“The simplest moments are the ones that stick with you,” Morris said.

For more information about national scholarships, including those with summer programs, contact Jeff Wing, director of the National Scholarship Office, at jawing@vcu.edu, 804-828-1803, or visit http://www.honors.vcu.edu/nationalscholar.

“Everyone should apply for a national scholarship, even if they’re not that confident, because it’s such a great experience,” Mason said. “I didn’t think that I could do it, and I did. And it was the best summer of my life.”