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ISEP Awards 7 Students Annette Kade Scholarship for the Spring 2022 Semester

November 10, 2021

ISEP has announced the seven recipients of the Annette Kade Scholarship for Spring 22 and academic year 2022-23 programs. These ISEP students will study at French or German speaking ISEP Member Institutions.

The Annette Kade Scholarships are awarded twice annually to students from ISEP Member Institutions across the U.S. Through an essay-based application and endorsement from their home institutions, Annette Kade Scholars are awarded scholarships based on their demonstrated financial need and determination to advance their language-learning skills while immersed in an academic setting.

“The Annette Kade Scholarships is a long-term commitment for ISEP, and we’re honored to administer these awards each year – supporting our value of language learning as well as our mission to expand access and affordability across study abroad programs,” said John Lucas, ISEP President and CEO.

A grant from the Annette Kade Fund provides support for the scholarships which this year ranged between US$1,250 and US$3,000 per award. Since 2002, more than 475 ISEP students have received an Annette Kade Scholarship.

Annette Kade Scholars for Spring 2022 and Academic Year 2022-23

Angel Marshall from Northern Arizona University will study at Universität Salzburg in Austria.

I remember approaching the German class informational table at my high school’s freshman orientation. My soon-to-be German teacher talked about how amazing the German language and culture is. Instantly, I knew I wanted to learn German. My German teacher was right about how amazing the language and culture is! My interest and love for the language only grew as I continued to study German at my university. I never realized that my love for learning the language would allow me to study abroad and continue learning the German language at the Universität Salzburg in Salzburg Austria. I am a senior at my home university, Northern Arizona University, studying Biomedical Sciences with a double minor in Ethnic Studies and Chemistry. I can’t wait to start my study abroad journey in Salzburg, Austria, and learn more about the language and Austrian culture

Berekia Divanga from East Carolina University will study at Université de Lille in France.

Berekia Divanga is a graduate student at East Carolina University, pursuing a Master of Arts degree in International Studies with a Certificate in Economic Development. She graduated cum laude from Meredith College with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sustainability and Economics and a minor in Geoscience. Berekia has a diverse professional background, including her experience as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow through Lead for America and as a Grants Assistant for the City of Washington, NC. As for her experience with the French language, Berekia is originally from a Francophone country where she lived until 2012; she has also served as a French to English translator and interpreter. In her effort to continue improving her French skills, Berekia hopes to explore the Francophonie to gain a deeper understanding of global Francophone cultures. In the Spring of 2022, she will be studying abroad at the Université de Lille in France.

Edleen Henriquez from University of North Georgia will study at Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Rennes in France.

My native language is English, and for the last seven years, I have been taking classes to learn French. While at times I feel as though my French is not good enough, it has been so much fun learning the French language and culture all the while. I am excited to study at the Institut d’edtudes politiques de Rennes. It not only allows me to continue to practice French, but it also gives me an insight into how the French live. I am a firm believer that the way to connect the most to those who speak a different language is to learn a language that is not native to you. This is an opportunity that I am forever grateful for because, as an International Affairs major, this is the best experience I could have outside of the classroom and use my French to better connect with others.

Kelsey Benson from Utah State University will study at Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Rennes in France.

My name is Kelsey Benson, and I am a sophomore at Utah State University majoring in International Studies with an emphasis in Peoples and Nations. I grew up in a small town in south-east Idaho called Chubbuck among my four sisters. I have always pushed myself in everything I do, leading me to serve as a scouting president, Chamber Choir president and National Honors Society president. I currently serve as a volunteer with the Red Cross as well as the Utah State University Series Committee. Taking my education abroad is no exception to this trend of determination. With my International Studies degree, I will be able to achieve my dream of dedicating my future to international humanitarian aid. This study abroad opportunity will provide me with a priceless experience to be immersed in the French language. This next step in Rennes, France will prepare me for my future in a way that would not be possible otherwise.

Madalynne Moody from Randolph-Macon College will study at Philipps-University Marburg in Germany.

I grew up in a very small town in southwestern Minnesota. My hometown has a long running siter-city relationship with a town in Germany. I was able to spend a year in Germany as a junior in high school. This experience really shaped my desire to study international relations and minor in German at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. Over the years, I’ve lost some of my language skills I acquired during my experience in high school. Spending a semester abroad at Philipps-University Marburg will help me regain and build my German speaking skills. My goal is to become fluent in speaking, writing, and reading German. Along with improving my German, I plan to learn more about how Germany interacts politically and economically with the rest of the world by taking courses on these subjects. I cannot wait to return to Germany to learn even more about the language and culture.

Marti Jones from Agnes Scott College will study at Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany.

My name is Marti Jones, but I prefer to be called MJ. I was born in the United States of America with English as my first language. After being awarded the Posse Scholarship, a prestigious leadership full-tuition scholarship), I decided to go to a school that would focus on developing my global leadership skills: Agnes Scott College. After being at Agnes for a year, I decided to take a leap of faith and start learning about the German culture and language. This is a culture that is extremely different from my Black culture and my Black English Vernacular, which is one of the main reasons I started to learn it. One of my goals in life is to explore the global world that we live in and promote as much change as I can. Another step I needed to take in order to achieve my goal is to study abroad. After long deliberation about where I should go, I picked Germany. Studying abroad, after taking a year and a half worth of German courses would allow me to have a more hands-on experience with the language and culture. For one to ever fully understand a language, one has to immerse themselves in that culture. With the Annette Kade Scholarship (and others such as the Gilman Scholarship), that’s exactly what I have been given the opportunity to do at the Philipps-Unversität Marburg.

Qheliswa Simelane from Lake Forest College will study at Aix-Marseille University in France.

Originally from Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, I completed my high school education in China before moving to the USA to pursue a double major in Data Science and Economics at Lake Forest college. I am currently completing my minor in French hence why I decided to study abroad in France at the Aix University of Marseilles, to not only immerse myself in the culture but learn the language in a way that seems very far-fetched and overwhelming. I began learning French when I was still in Swaziland and enjoyed the language enough to want to continue learning it in college. I intend on taking only French classes and putting a lot of my focus this Spring semester on improving my confidence, vocabulary and understanding of the language in an active manner. With not a lot of native French speakers in Swaziland to practice the language with, this experience will fill in that gap in language learning.

About the Annette Kade Scholarship

With the generous support of The Annette Kade Fund, ISEP offers these scholarships to students at U.S. ISEP Member Institutions who plan to study French or German while abroad. Awards are made following a review of applications that focus on language learning and demonstrated financial need to study abroad. Applications include essays and an endorsement from the applicant’s home institution.

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