Featured Students and Alumni

Accepted into American Studies Program internship at the University of Sydney, Australia through the Hinckley Institute.

I study Vietnamese and received a FLAS scholarship to study in Vietnam summer 2019. (I do not know if this next part is necessary but...) Vietnamese is a moderately difficult language to learn, there are tones, different words you use for specific situations and grammar structures, and there are numerous different accents with their own vocabulary which is both unique and confusing when listening to people from different parts of Vietnam.

By being able to study abroad in Vietnam I was able to learn more about my culture and heritage and can improve my Vietnamese language skills. I hope to be able to use these skills in a future career as a collegiate professor or in the Intelligence community. The skills I learned abroad are irreplaceable and extremely valuable in helping me appreciate media and art in Vietnamese. 

I am currently studying Korean as a heritage-seeker and wanting to work/attend school in South Korea after graduation, if possible.

It was one of the majors that really piqued my interest. The world is quickly becoming globalized and it is crucial to know about different areas/countries for mutual understanding and to establish camaraderie and connections with one another rather than labeling and misinterpreting another culture. 

I am honored to be a recipient of the amazing Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Scholarship as it paid for more than half of my overall tuition on the University of Utah campus. I have also received the Departmental Scholarship for Asian Studies and other academic scholarships on campus. 

I study Korean on campus!

FLAS made it possible for me to make the final decision on majoring in Asian Studies. This award has honestly helped push me in the direction that I have wanted to go and supported me and my decisions (thank you Patrick Cheney and immense thanks to Professor Koeun Park and Professor Deberniere Torrey). This scholarship has also excelled my language learning opportunities and now I am happy to say that I have and can comfortably communicate with my family in South Korea without worrying about a huge language barrier. This award has allowed me to connect with my family along with getting a degree- how many awards can you say do both?

APPLY! If you are interested in a language and are determined to continue your studies with the language, please apply! It has been such a huge help to my academic career and has allowed me to attend school without worrying about tuition. The application process does seem daunting, but it is all worth it in the end. I used to be the student that if I saw an application that was longer than one page, I would just pass it up. I am forever grateful that I didn't do that with the FLAS scholarship. 

I hope to study abroad in South Korea for a few semesters after I graduate. I want to experience being abroad within a community that I am familiar with but at the same time a stranger to. While in South Korea I want to pursue a degree in Psychology while also engaging with the community, such as teaching English to students.

• I interned at the Dream Center at The University of Utah in the Spring 2020.
• I am currently an intern at the Center of Latin American Studies where I help coordinate a Spanish community on campus.
• I am currently a Hinckley Ambassador at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, my duty is to share information about the variety of internships opportunities that U of U students have.
• I am currently one of the peer mentors for the Second Year Experience Program from the Center of Ethnic Studies Affairs.

• SLC Youth of the Year 2018
• Sophomore Rising Professional 2020

I would say pursue this career with a dream in mind. If you want to accomplish something, put it as a goal always give yourself the opportunity to explore. Get engage in the community, get involved on campus groups and activities and share your interests and experiences with other students.