UNG students earn study abroad scholarships

Three University of North Georgia students have been selected for Fund for Education Abroad scholarships. Grants were renewed for three additional students for travel this year. That gives UNG six of the 119 FEA scholars.

“This means 5% of all FEA awards in 2022-23 are UNG students,” Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, said.

Lin said FEA scholarships are geared toward supporting underrepresented students studying abroad.

“FEA makes life-changing, international experiences accessible to all by supporting students of color, community college, and first-generation college students before, during, and after they participate in education abroad programs,” according to the FEA website.

Among the newly-awarded recipients are Melena Appling, a first generation sophomore pursuing a communications degree with a public relations concentration, and Anh Tran, a junior pursuing a marketing degree, who will both spend fall of 2022 in the United Kingdom, and Alejandro Canela, a junior pursuing a degree in biology, who will spend the 2023 summer semester in Japan.

“I personally chose to study in the U.K. because it is the best location for my major of communications with a concentration in public relations,” Appling said. “London is the heart of Europe, and I have always wanted to travel there. It also has vast opportunities to learn about public relations because it is a central communication hub in the world. It offers more experiences than other locations around the world.”

Studying abroad is something Tran has wanted to do since her freshman year.

“Because of COVID, I have missed many opportunities to study and intern abroad in person, but since policies are shifting, many students like me will be able to do it before we graduate,” Tran said. “I am looking forward to meeting others from different cultures and backgrounds. I am most looking forward to trying new foods, traveling to different cities in England and Europe, and making international relationships.”

Grants for Robbie Griffin, a sophomore; Phillip Ly, a senior; and Ketsia Malala, a senior, were renewed. Griffin and Ly are pursuing degrees in strategic and security studies. Griffin was selected for the Eleni Zachariou Memorial Scholarship for travel to Greece and will be attending the Research Institute for European and American Studies near Athens, Greece, this summer.

“I’m excited and fortunate to have this opportunity, which is in big part thanks to the Eleni Zachariou scholarship from FEA,” Griffin said. “I’m looking forward to exploring Greece, trying local cuisine, seeing historical sites, and immersing myself in the culture.”

Ly planned to study in France, but another opportunity arose, and he chose the Rangel Summer Enrichment Program.

Malala, who is pursuing a degree in management, is currently studying in South Korea.

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