(Posted August 2, 2018)

Photo: Teerayut Dowruang, exchange student from Thailand

Photo: Teerayut Dowruang, exchange student from Thailand

Huntingdon, Pa. – Two Juniata College students have earned prestigious scholarships to pursue nontraditional study abroad experiences. Cameron Stoneberger, a junior from Westminster, Maryland, was awarded a $5,000 Freeman-Asia Scholarship to spend a semester studying at Shih Hsin University in Taipei, Taiwan. And, through the same scholarship program, Abe Hershberger, a junior from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was awarded $7,000 to study at Japan Hokusei Gakuen University in Sapporo, Japan, for this upcoming academic year.

“This is a national award, so it is highly competitive and considered very prestigious,” says Kati Csoman, Dean of International Education at the College. “We make sure to extensively notify students when they are eligible for scholarships and walk them through the process. Our Study Abroad Coordinator coached Cameron through multiple revisions of his application essay.”

The program provides scholarships for undergraduate students in the U.S. who might otherwise not study abroad in East or Southeast due to financial constraints. By awarding scholarships, the program’s goal is to increase students’ first-hand experiences in and appreciation of Asia and its people and culture.

“I am looking forward to being able to fully immerse myself in the culture and explore Japan on my own and create my own experience. I look forward to seeing my language skills grow and evolve,” says Hershberger. “I am hoping to become a translator for Japanese, so I chose this program because they offer a homestay program that will let me live with a Japanese family for the duration of my stay.”

Elements like the homestay aspect that Hershberger mentions show how the Freeman-Asia program strengthens the relationship between the U.S. and the countries in East Asia. Over the course of its existence, the Freeman-Asia Scholarships have helped nearly 5,000 students study abroad in Asia and return to share their experiences with their peers on their home campus and in their communities since 2001.

                   

--Written by Taylor M. Smallwood ’19--  

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.