This year, several Arts and Sciences students won prestigious, competitive national scholarships: the Boren, Truman, and Fulbright.

Chase Hall ‘19, double major in Political Science and Chinese and minor in Theatre, was awarded $20,000 through a Boren Scholarship to subsidize the cost of the Chinese Flagship Capstone Year at Nanjing University. One of the most prestigious study abroad awards offered to American college students, the Boren Scholarship is sponsored by the National Security Education Program as a federal initiative to aid American citizens with foreign language and international skills. In exchange for funding, recipients of the scholarship agree to work for the federal government for at least one year. Hall will take Chinese and political science classes at Nanjing University and said he is especially looking forward to his year of working for the government: “To me that means a job related to the field I’m interested in right after I graduate.” He plans a career in public service working for the government in a national security role.

Andrew Boardman ‘19, an Economics major, was awarded a $30,000 Truman Scholarship to assist him in his pursuit of a master’s degree in public policy. After he graduates next May, Boardman will participate in an eight-week Truman Summer Institute designed to help expand students’ understanding of policy and policy-making through participation in seminars and presentations. Students may only apply for a Truman Scholarship if they are nominated by their university. After being nominated, candidates go through a rigorous, multi-stage selection process. This year, there were 756 candidates for the award nominated by 311 colleges and universities, a record number of institutions. The 194 finalists for the award were interviewed in March and early April by one of 16 regional selection panels. Boardman is one of 59 Truman Scholars selected in 2018. The University of Rhode Island was named a Truman Scholarship Honor Institution in 2005 for its active encouragement of students to pursue careers in public service. It is the only public university in the Northeast with this designation.

Jenna Ziegelmayer ’18, who graduated with a triple major in Spanish, Communication Studies, and Writing & Rhetoric, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. In September, she started working as an English Language Teaching Assistant at IE University in Madrid, Spain. She now works as a writing tutor, offers workshops that complement the intro-level writing skills program, and teaches two English classes to staff members at the university. She’s also volunteering for the Competitive College Club, a program run through EducationUSA with the U.S. Department of State, which allows her to work one-on-one with a Spanish high school student who is applying to colleges in the States. Ziegelmayer helps her revise her applications and to prepare for the college experience in the U.S. “Regardless of the fact that I was actually awarded a Fulbright, the process of applying was super helpful,” Ziegelmayer says. “It forced me to focus on my goals, write some strong personal statements, and make connections with professors who were kind enough to write letters of recommendation for me.” So far, she says one of the most exciting experiences of her time abroad has been attending the 60th anniversary celebration of the Fulbright España Commission, held at the Prado Museum with King Felipe in attendance.

The Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities (ONFAO) advises and assists qualified undergraduate students who are interested in applying for national and international scholarships and fellowships. As these three students demonstrate, the College of Arts & Sciences is preparing undergraduates well to compete on a national stage for opportunities. For more information on the office and how to apply for these types of opportunities, please visit https://web.uri.edu/fellowships/.