ISEP is thrilled to congratulate the recipients of our ISEP Community Scholarship and ISEP Founders Fellowship award. These scholarships assist students from ISEP Member Institutions with a demonstrated financial need in making their goals to study abroad a reality. The awards support our mission to extend access and affordability of study abroad by encouraging applications from students who are statistically underrepresented in study abroad. Each ISEP Community Scholarship awardee will receive US$500, and the ISEP Founders Fellow will receive US$2,500 to use while studying abroad with ISEP next semester.
Continue reading to get to know some of our students and their amazing stories. Learn more about ISEP Scholarships and how you can donate to the ISEP Scholarships Fund to give the gift of international education and a life-changing experience.
ISEP Founders Fellowship Award Recipient
Applicants submitted creative projects emphasizing the value of language learning in study abroad.
Karen Seaver from Agnes Scott College will study at Universität Bielefeld in Germany.
When I started taking German on a whim in my freshman year of high school, I never expected that I would be where I am today. However, German quickly changed from a graduation requirement to something that I couldn’t imagine my life without. At Agnes Scott College, my home institution, I am a German Studies major and Educational Studies minor. I am just finishing up my sixth year of studying German and I am excited to be able to fully immerse myself in my seventh this year at Universität Bielefeld. While my main priority will be becoming more fluent in my use of German, I am also hoping to take some of their education courses that will offer a different perspective on learning, which I am certain will help me reach my goal of becoming a German teacher and spreading my passion for the language to future generations of students.
ISEP Community Scholarship Award Recipients
These awards of US$500 will be used toward study abroad programs next semester (Northern Hemisphere Fall 2021). Students may defer their award to a later term if their program is suspended for fall 2021.
Morgan Abrams from University of University of Alaska Southeast in the U.S. will study at University of Strathclyde in the U.K.
My name is Morgan Abrams and I currently attend the University of Alaska Southeast through their online program working toward my Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education. I am looking forward to being on campus at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland for the coming fall and spring semesters. Although I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, my senior year was a time of adventures and changes. My family had decided to move from one coast to the other and I found myself living on a small island in Southeast Alaska. Although the experience was difficult and challenged me in ways that I did not expect, moving there further created in me a desire to travel. I enjoy being a part of unfamiliar cultures, seeing new landscapes, and the growth that I experience each time I am given the opportunity to explore a new place. As I anticipate all of the memories I will be collecting during my study abroad semesters, I grow to be more and more excited. Traveling may leave my heart in many places, but I grow more complete with each adventure. I am so grateful for the ability to attend the University of Strathclyde.
Léo Philippo from Université de la Réunion in France will study at Wittenberg University in the U.S.
I am a French student living in Réunion Island, a French territory located in the Indian ocean. My journey with the English language has not always been easy; until I discovered a student exchange program like ISEP is offering, I had given up on learning English. During my exchange trip a few years ago, I learned more about American culture and realized that I have a real passion for English literature! ISEP is helping me achieve my dream by giving me this incredible opportunity to study English literature and the history of the United States in Ohio at Wittenberg University. I am very honored to represent the LGBTQIA+ community during my following year in America. I am dedicated to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and I am happy to educate those around me. As a transgender man, being authentic and open about who I really am helped me feel more confident and comfortable with myself. I’m thrilled to share that at Wittenberg next year and meet like-minded individuals while improving my English skills.
Saad Mourafik from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco will study at Ajou University in South Korea.
My name is Saad Mourafik. I am a student from Morocco. I am someone who is really passionate about computers and that’s why I majored in computer science. My dream is to become a renowned computer scientist in the field of artificial intelligence. My perseverance, I believe, is my greatest asset. I want to do things properly, so I’m able to put in all the necessary time and effort to see them through. I am applying to study abroad in Ajou University for various reasons. First of all, It’s a challenge, and one of the aspects that makes the whole experience so valuable and worthwhile is getting outside of my comfort zone. I want to learn more about the south Korean culture. I will be able to try new foods, listen to traditional music, participate in local events, and learn about south Korean culture while living abroad. One of the most significant advantages of studying abroad is the opportunity to learn a foreign language, and in my case I want to learn Korean language. Learning a language can be difficult, but nothing compares to living in a country where the language is spoken natively. It is extremely beneficial!
Chelsea Royo from Universidad de Almería in Spain will study at Virginia Tech in the U.S.
I was born in the Dominican Republic, a beautiful country in the Caribbean where the main language is Spanish. I have been very lucky since, while growing up, I’ve had a lot of contact with English. However, I was not entirely comfortable with it and one of my biggest fears back then was going to an English speaking country alone and having to face native speakers. I came to the university here in Spain and I’ve had the opportunity to take some of the courses entirely in English, and little by little that helped me to feel more secure regarding the language. While abroad, I’m going to take all my classes in English and face native speakers, which is something that scares me but excites me at the same time, but I know I’m up to take every chance I have to face my fear and overcome it.
Veronica Starodub from American University in Bulgaria will study at Regis University in the U.S.
I am from Ukraine, and my home university is American University in Bulgaria, where my majors are Mathematics and Economics. With the help of ISEP, I got the opportunity to travel to the United States on an exchange at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Ever since high school, my dream was to become an exchange student in America. I participated in the selection for a number of exchange programs for high-school students, however, circumstances developed in such a way that I did not go. Therefore, now I am incredibly happy to have this opportunity! I am excited to start my exchange where I will study subjects from advanced and applied mathematics, and analytical economics. I am very interested to see an approach to teaching in the United States, to study subjects from another perspective, to meet inspiring people, and of course to actively participate in cultural exchange and learn more about the overseas country!
Desire Uwera from Lake Forest College in the U.S. will study at Université de Nantes in France.
Growing up in a multi-lingual Uganda and family, I have always been exposed to different languages. It was rather unfortunate then, that by favoring the official language, the traditional primary education system in my country did not encourage multilingualism. In my own efforts to learn, I tried mobile apps for Spanish and French. I was also lucky enough to receive scholarship awards to pursue a further understanding of French, among other academic interests. Even though I have improved tremendously, I still face challenges with spoken French because I have not had the chance to put my skills to use in an environment that requires them daily. I know that studying abroad will grant me this opportunity, making this process much easier. I am currently double majoring in French and Neuroscience, with the goal of working in Public Health, especially internationally. I therefore believe that excellent language skills will prove useful.
About the Awards
Since its inception in 1979, ISEP has been committed to facilitating increased access to academic and cross-cultural learning opportunities for students through its worldwide membership network of higher education institutions. The ISEP Community Scholarships and the ISEP Founders Fellowship strengthen the core of that integral mission statement by providing students with the resources to overcome financial and academic barriers to study abroad.
ISEP Community Scholarship:
The ISEP Community Scholarship supports our mission of extending access and affordability of study abroad.
Recipients of this award are chosen by members of the ISEP community and selection is based upon their responses to prompts for a financial statement of need and a personal essay.
ISEP Founders Fellowship:
ISEP Founders Fellows demonstrate a passion for language learning while studying abroad. This individual is dedicated to learning and improving their ability to speak, read and understand another language.
Founders Fellows believe living, studying and engaging in another culture will inform and broaden their perspectives, which will allow them to have an even greater understanding of the language they are learning.
ISEP extends a warm congratulations to all award recipients!
Like this Story? Also like us on Facebook.