Carolina Development, UNC-Chapel Hill

38 UNC students awarded study abroad scholarships

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has awarded more than $100,000 in privately funded, need- and merit-based scholarships to 38 undergraduates for 2009 summer, fall and academic year study abroad programs.

The awards are just part of the financial support that UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences provides to students for study abroad throughout the year. The college raised more than $19 million for study abroad programs and scholarships during UNC’s latest major fund-raising drive, the Carolina First Campaign.

The UNC Study Abroad Office in the college offers more than 320 study abroad programs in more than 70 countries. About 1,400 Carolina undergraduates go abroad each year through college programs.

The 38 new scholarship recipients represent majors including music, business, international studies, nursing and Spanish. They are studying in cities around the world, including the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador; Nairobi, Kenya; Oslo, Norway; Istanbul, Turkey; and Singapore.

“Everyone is very aware of the current financial difficulties,” said Bob Miles, associate dean for study abroad and international exchanges in the college. “As students contemplate the advantages of studying abroad at this time, they worry about the additional costs of studying in a foreign country rather than on campus in Chapel Hill.”

“While a lot of our programs require little or no additional expenditure, many others do,” he said. “For this reason, the generosity and vision of our alumni in funding study abroad scholarships is especially welcome.”

The scholarships awarded for summer, fall and academic year programs are supported by 15 endowment funds established by private donors, including a new scholarship, the Frances and E.T. Rollins Jr. Study Abroad Fund.

UNC students interested in applying for study abroad programs or receiving more information about scholarships should contact the Study Abroad Office at (919) 962-7002 or visit http://global.unc.edu/studyabroad.

The scholarships, donors who established them and recipients of 2009 summer and fall study abroad programs are listed below.

Bejarano-Benning Study Abroad Scholarship for Latin America
Leslie Benning of New York City, a 1979 Carolina graduate, and her husband, Dr. Rafael Bejarano, established this scholarship in 2003. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation matched their gift. The fund provides at least one scholarship annually for study in Latin America.

Recipient Janna Coulter, a junior exercise and sport science major from Chapel Hill, enrolled for the fall at the Universidad San Francisco in Galapagos in Ecuador.

Bejarano-Benning Study Abroad Scholarship for Spain/Iberian Peninsula
Leslie Benning of New York City, a 1979 Carolina graduate, and her husband, Dr. Rafael Bejarano, established this scholarship in 2003. The fund provides at least one scholarship annually for semester or year-long programs in Spain or Portugal.

Recipient John Fioravanti, a senior economics major from Mooresville, who will spend the fall semester in Spain with the UNC program in Sevilla.

Michael L. and Matthew L. Boyatt Award
Michael Boyatt, a 1956 Carolina graduate from Beech Mountain, established this fund in 1996 with his son, Matthew, of Durham, who received undergraduate and law degrees from UNC in 1997 and 2002, respectively. The fund provides merit-based study abroad awards for undergraduates majoring in international studies or history. Recipients are:

Jennifer Coronel, a junior international studies and chemistry major from Prospect, Ky., participating in the Burch Field Research Seminar in Rwanda and The Hague this summer;
Chrissy Jusino, a junior international studies major from Raleigh, studying in Mexico this summer in the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara’s Medical Spanish program;
Steven Lin, a junior history major from Cary, enrolled for the upcoming academic year at the National University of Singapore as part of that university’s joint degree program with Carolina;
Colleen Murphy, a junior history and geography major from Chapel Hill, also participating in the summer Burch Field Research Seminar in Rwanda and The Hague;
Sara Rafalson, a junior international studies and Spanish major from Matthews, studying in the UNC-Uruguay Universities exchange program in Montevideo; and
Stephen Strigle, a junior history and Asian studies major from Findlay, Ohio, attending the University of Virginia-Yarmouk University summer Arabic languages program in Irbid, Jordan.

Gravely Family Study Abroad Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 2006 by Lee Stevens Gravely of Rocky Mount and her four children, all UNC alumni: Frances Gravely and Susan Gravely of Chapel Hill, Steve Gravely of Pittsboro and Page Gravely of Middleburg, Va. The award honors Lee Gravely’s late husband, father to the other donors, Lloyd Lee Gravely. He studied at UNC until he enlisted in 1941 to serve in World War II. He was president of a family owned export-import company, China American Tobacco Co. The fund provides annual study abroad scholarships, with preference for North Carolinians. Recipients are:

Anna Burroughs, a senior international studies major from Durham, who will study this fall in Xiamen with the UNC semester in China program;
Analise Jenkins, a senior Spanish and biology major from Dallas, Texas, participating in the summer UNC in Sevilla program in Spain; and
Zachary Rowell, a senior business major from Wilmington, also participating in the summer UNC in Sevilla program in Spain.

Melvin A. Halpern and Maria Cristina Alfonzo Halpern Fund
UNC alumni Lucía Halpern, a resident of London, and Adrian Halpern, of Chapel Hill, established this fund in 2002 to honor their parents. The fund provides annual scholarships to support undergraduate research, study abroad, internship or volunteer opportunities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay or Uruguay, with preference for opportunities in Argentina.

Recipient Matthew Tucker, a junior international studies major from Clearwater, Fla., is enrolled in the School for International Training’s Economic Development and Globalization program in Santiago, Chile for the fall semester.

Anthony and Hope Harrington Study Abroad Scholarship
UNC alumnus Anthony Harrington, former U.S. ambassador to Brazil, and his wife, Hope, of Easton, Md., created the fund supporting this award with a gift in 2004. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation matched their gift. The Harringtons established the scholarship to honor former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, who taught at UNC in 1974 and 1975. Lagos received an honorary degree from UNC in 2001. The fund awards scholarships annually for study abroad in Latin America. Recipients are:

Andrew Hackelman, a senior comparative literature and political science major from Winston-Salem, attending the School for International Training’s Indigenous Peoples and Globalization program in Cuzco, Peru;
Brittany Peterson, a sophomore journalism and Latin American studies major from Raleigh, who will participate in Butler University’s Argentine Universities program in Buenos Aires in the fall semester; and
Rachel Puckett, a junior international studies and anthropology major from Leland, studying in the UNC-Uruguay Universities exchange program in Montevideo.

Harris Teeter Study Abroad Scholarship Program
This scholarship was established in 2004 by gifts from Harris Teeter and the Dickson Foundation Inc. Harris Teeter, the Charlotte-based supermarket chain, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ruddick Corp., whose former chairman is Alan Dickson of Charlotte, a Dickson Foundation trustee. The fund provides annual scholarships for students from North Carolina, with preference for Harris Teeter associates or their children. Recipients are:

Richard Browne, a junior environmental science and public policy major from Charlotte, studying at the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Cambridge Field Site in England this summer;
Jackie Keung; a sophomore nursing major from Cary, a fall semester exchange student at the University of Hong Kong; and
Erin Smith, a senior journalism and mass communication major from Waxhaw, participating in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s summer multimedia storytelling program in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Leonard G. and Rozelia S. Herring Study Abroad Award Fund
Leonard Herring, a 1948 Carolina graduate, and his wife, Rozelia, of North Wilkesboro, established this scholarship in 2005. The fund provides scholarships for students with demonstrated financial need and academic merit to support participation in semester or year-long study abroad programs. Recipients are:

Ciara Braun, a senior psychology major from Kennesaw, Ga., who will spend the fall semester in London through a Boston University internship program;
Katherine Herman, a senior dramatic art and communications major from Morehead City, who will attend the University of Glasgow in Scotland for the fall semester;
Kathryn Jokipii, a junior journalism and mass communication major from Huntington, N.Y., who also will participate in the Boston University internship program in London for the fall semester; and
Hannah Ringler, a junior Asian studies major from Durham, enrolled as an exchange student for the 2009-2010 academic year at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.

Joe Henry Jenkins and Jenny C. Jenkins Study Abroad and International Experience Fund
This fund was established in 2004 by Joe Henry and Jenny Jenkins, longtime residents of Dare County and eastern North Carolina. Awards from the fund will support study abroad or international experiences for undergraduates from eastern North Carolina. Recipients are:

Caitlin Frese, a junior pharmacy major from Elizabeth City, participating in the summer UNC in Paris program in France; and
Robert Lawrence, a junior political science major from Currituck County, enrolled for the fall semester at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey.

Charles Garland Johnson Sr. Scholarships
Carolina alumnae Mary Anne Johnson Dickson and Martha O’Neal Johnson of Charlotte established the fund supporting these awards in 2002. The awards honor their late father, a banker and community leader in Elkin. The fund offers need-based and merit-based study abroad scholarships to undergraduates from North Carolina, with preference for students from Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. Recipients are:

Sarah Brown, a junior biology major from North Wilkesboro, participating in the summer Burch Field Research Seminar in Curitiba, Brazil;
Melanie Hudak, a junior international studies major from Garner, attending the South American Archeology Field School this summer in Moche Valley, Peru;
Alia Khan, a senior environmental science major from Raleigh, a fall semester exchange student at the University of Oslo in Norway;
Matthew Koh, a junior anthropology major from Boone, also enrolled this summer in the South American Archeology Field School in Moche Valley, Peru;
Arkasha Stevenson, a senior journalism and mass communication major from Chapel Hill, participating in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s summer multimedia storytelling program in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador; and
Olivia Thayer, a junior Spanish and linguistics major from Beaufort, who will spend the fall semester in Spain with the UNC in Sevilla program.

Grey Lineweaver Study Abroad Scholarship
Grey Lineweaver, a 1962 Carolina graduate from Greensboro, established this scholarship in 2005 with matching funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The resulting fund provides at least one scholarship per year for study in Latin America. Recipients are:

Anneke Robinson, a senior sociology and philosophy major from Rocky Mount, studying at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador this summer; and
Yvonne White, a sophomore psychology major from Salisbury, also studying at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador this summer.

Charles A. McLendon Sr. Study Abroad Scholarship
Charles A. McLendon Jr. of New York City, a 1981 Carolina graduate, created the fund supporting this scholarship in 2004 to honor his father, of Greensboro, a retired Burlington Industries executive who traveled extensively overseas. The fund provides at least one scholarship per year.

Recipient Craig Merrill, a senior international studies major from Durham, will participate in the UNC Semester in China program in Xiamen this fall.

Elizabeth and Frank Queally Study Abroad Scholarship
Elizabeth Queally, a 1984 graduate, and her husband, Frank, of Darien, Conn., established this scholarship in 2005. The fund provides at least four scholarships annually for students with demonstrated financial need, with preference for students participating in semester or year-long programs. Recipients are:

Kristopher Mills, a junior international studies major from Williamsburg, Va., attending the School for Field Studies fall semester program at the Center for Wildlife Management Studies in Nairobi National Park and the Kilimanjaro Bush in Kenya; and
Elizabeth Pack, a junior music major from Ellicott City, Md., who will spend the 2009-2010 academic year in Vienna, Austria, with the International Education of Students music studies program.

Frances and E.T. Rollins Jr. Study Abroad Scholarship
Frances Rollins of Durham, established this fund in 2008 in honor of her late husband, E.T. Rollins Jr., a UNC graduate and a former owner, board chairman and publisher of The Herald-Sun in Durham. The fund will provide at least one scholarship annually for students with demonstrated financial need and academic merit. The first recipients are:

Emily Miller, a junior history and political science major from Smyrna, Ga., attending the Lorenzo de Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, for the fall semester; and

Angela Napit, a sophomore communication studies and business major from Englewood, Co., participating in the summer UNC in Sevilla program in Spain.

Horace J. Shumate Memorial Scholarship
Carol Shumate of Chapel Hill established the fund supporting this award in 2001 in honor of her late father, who worked in the foreign operations division of Loffland Brothers Drilling Co. for 24 years. A contract negotiator, Shumate traveled to remote locations around the world. The fund provides at least one scholarship annually for study abroad or participation in foreign exchange programs. In celebration of Horace Shumate’s career, the fund targets students who wish to pursue new academic or personal interests through international experiences.

Recipient Scott Boren, a junior business and psychology major from Englewood, Co., enrolled at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for the fall semester.

July 7, 2009