Student earns International Scholarship, recognized by U.S. 国务院

佩斯利·阿特伍德，25岁 was recognized recently by the U.S. 国务院接待了本杰明·a. 吉尔曼国际奖学金. Atwood will travel to Indonesia in the fall to embark on her research. She is a Public Health major with a minor in Anthropology at Saint Michael’s. She has a deep passion for travel and learning about other cultures. 在圣迈克尔医院最近的一次采访中, Atwood shared how she got involved with study abroad and how Saint Michael’s sculpted her global-focused mindset.

佩斯利·阿特伍德，25岁

你是怎么发现本杰明A的. 吉尔曼国际奖学金? 你是如何申请的??

I am studying abroad in the fall, and I was looking for ways to fund study abroad. I came across this scholarship on the 奖学金 website, and I applied for it. 它要经过美国.S. 国务院, so it funds undergraduate students to study abroad who are in financial need.

Where are you studying abroad and what research will you be completing?

I will be studying abroad in Indonesia through a field studies program called SIT. I am studying arts, religion, and social change. During the last month of the program, I will be conducting an independent research project. At the end of the program, I’ll present my research along with the other students in the program.

I know you are a semifinalist for a national critical language scholarship. 你能多告诉我一些吗?

I actually ended up getting it, so now I’m a finalist. It’s called a Critical Language Scholarship and it’s also through the U.S. 国务院, through a different bureau. This program offers students the opportunity to study a language over the summer that is of critical need to the government. 他们有面对面的课程, and they have free virtual programs for students who don’t have any language experience. Russian, Mandarin, and Arabic are the virtual ones. I applied to study Arabic, and I don’t have any experience, so I applied for the virtual one. 整个夏天我都在做.

佩斯利·阿特伍德，25岁

What skills have you gained from your time at Saint Michael’s?

I don’t think I would’ve gotten either scholarship had it not been for Saint Michael’s—especially my Anthropology classes. I have always been a person who’s wanted to travel, 但是当我年轻的时候, 我真的不知道那是什么意思. 我只是想看看世界的其他地方. I had no idea what other cultures could offer, and what other languages could offer. I started taking Anthropology classes and my mindset sort of shifted from just wanting to travel to wanting to make a difference while traveling. I think Saint Michael’s does a fantastic job of getting students in that global mindset with intercultural learning. 他们真的引导我走上了正确的道路.

What clubs and extracurriculars were you involved with at Saint Michael’s?

I’ve been a climbing instructor and coordinator at the 探险运动中心 since my freshman year. 我参加了登山领袖课程, which is a prerequisite for becoming an instructor, and then I went through the instructor training program. 从那时起, 我已升到协调员的职位, where I’ve served as a student role model for the other instructors in my climbing discipline. I am also involved in the Peace Corp Prep program.

Did your interest in the Peace Corp begin at Saint Michael’s? Or has it always been something that you’ve wanted to pursue?

我一直在关注这个问题. 我在高中就知道了. 我的一个朋友向我推荐了它. He said you don’t have to go into the Peace Corp, 但如果你想进入任何全球领域, 有证书真好. 它有助于增强你的全球思维. I have always had an interest in it, but Saint Michael’s helped solidify that. I don’t know right now if it’s a path I want to go down, but I’m glad that I have the certificate because I do know I want to work in some sort of international field.

佩斯利·阿特伍德，25岁

Did you have a favorite class at Saint Michael’s?

I think my favorite class is the one I’m taking now. It’s called Anthropology of Refugee Health and Healing. It’s similar to other anthropology courses I’ve taken, but we read a specific book about the conflict between Western medicine and culture and that book was so eye-opening. 我非常喜欢这门课.

Do you have any advice that you’d give students who want to get involved with these international scholarships and study abroad?

在申请期间, I would really take some time to think about your experiences because everyone has unique experiences. It’s just a matter of pinpointing them to use in a way that highlights why you would be good for the specific scholarship, 奖学金, 或者出国留学项目. Professor Patricia Siplon was a huge help for my experience. I sent her my essays and she sent back amazing feedback. It helped me highlight my uniqueness and unique experiences. They don’t want to read the same essay over and over again. They want to know about you and what makes you good for the scholarship.