2018 Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients Honored
The Study Abroad Office honored forty-six recipients of the Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship at an awards ceremony last week. The students received recognition for their commitment to on-campus and international academic achievement, and several took the stage to share stories of study abroad’s personal impact.
The 2017-2018 scholarship recipients represent 26 majors from eight NC State colleges and studied in 26 countries.
Mauricio Carrillo, a senior international studies and business management major from Smithfield, North Carolina, studied at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador in the fall 2017 semester. The first-generation Mexican-American and college attendee gained an enriched perspective on academic success and global citizenship during his time abroad.
“Studying abroad helped me develop an even stronger sense of self as a Latino man,” he said. “I learned that no matter where you go in the world, you can find common ground with others and connect with people in so many different ways.”
Matthew Wright, a senior graphic design major from Fayetteville, North Carolina, participated in a faculty-led program in Greece during the summer of 2017. His experiences gave him more self-confidence while positively shaping his view of humanity.
“Participating in study abroad was daunting initially because it was my first time going outside of the United States,” he said. “I am so grateful that the Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship allowed me to be part of something much bigger than myself.”
The Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship is funded by the University’s Greatest Needs Fund, which Chancellor Randy Woodson uses to address the challenges faced by or opportunities directed toward members of the NC State community. The scholarship program seeks to fund students from categories that are underrepresented in study abroad, including minority, first-generation and male students, and students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related majors. Final decisions are based on application essays.
At $2,500 each, these scholarships are extremely competitive. In the 2016-2017 academic year, 853 students applied for scholarships through the Study Abroad Office, and 30 percent of those applicants received a scholarship of some sort, with five percent of applicants receiving a Chancellor’s Study Abroad Scholarship.
“NC State students who study abroad represent the future of our increasingly globalized economy and interconnected world,” said Ingrid Schmidt, associate vice provost for external relations and development in the Office of Global Engagement. “We would love to fund every student that applies for a scholarship, in order to provide them with life-changing international experiences. We’re extremely thankful for our generous donors who make this possible for our current recipients, and we hope to grow our program even further in the future.”
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