News Release

Local angles: Boldfaced in list below.

UNC study abroad office distributes
more than $27,000 in scholarships

CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has awarded more than $27,000 in need- and merit-based study-abroad scholarships to 21 undergraduates.

The students are participating in UNC-approved study-abroad programs this semester. Private funds support the scholarships.

The recipients represent academic majors including history, business administration, biology and international studies. They will study in cities including Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Krakow, Poland; Havana and Tokyo.

The university’s Study Abroad Office in the College of Arts and Sciences offers some 300 study-abroad programs in more than 70 countries. Approximately 1,200 Carolina undergraduates go abroad each year through College programs.

“Fear of significantly increased costs keeps many students from even considering an international component to their education, which places them at a distinct disadvantage in an increasingly global society,” said Bob Miles, associate dean for study abroad and international exchanges in the college.

“These scholarships help us make study abroad accessible to all Carolina students, regardless of their financial circumstances,” he said.

UNC students interested in applying for study abroad or learning more about scholarships should contact the Study Abroad Office at 962-7002 or visit http://studyabroad.unc.edu/studyabroad.cfm.

The scholarships awarded recently are supported by 10 endowment funds established by private donors. They are part of more than $18 million raised to support study abroad programs and scholarships during the Carolina First Campaign.

Most of the gifts count toward the campaign goal of $2 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year, private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

The scholarships, donors who established them, recipients and places where they are studying now are below, with hometowns in bold:

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 Kathleen Casanova, a sophomore Spanish and public policy analysis major from Austin, Texas, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the COPA: Argentine Universities program. COPA – Cooperating Programs in the Americas – is a consortium of four universities including UNC-Chapel Hill that have study-abroad programs in Argentina and Chile.
 
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 Carolina in 1997 and 2002. The fund provides merit-based study abroad awards for undergraduate students majoring in international studies or history. This year’s five ecipients are:

• James Avallone, a junior history major from Brooklyn, N.Y., an exchange student at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.
• Marie Garlock, a junior communication studies and international studies major from Raleigh, at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. 
• Patrick Nerz, a junior history and political science major from Raleigh, in Cuba with the UNC Semester in Havana program.
• Ellen Stanley, a political science and international studies major from Wilmington, in Cuba with the UNC Semester in Havana program.
• Brett Sturm, a sophomore history major from Charlotte, now in Krakow, Poland, at the Center for European Studies at Jagiellonian University.

Anthony and Hope Harrington Study Abroad Scholarship
UNC alumnus Anthony Harrington, the 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. 

Recipient Jonathan Tyus, a junior history major from Durham, is in Cuba with the UNC Semester in Havana program.

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. The first six recipients include three students now in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the COPA: Argentine Universities program:        

• Aidan Kostenko, a junior Spanish and international studies major from Burlington;
• Katie McLean, a junior psychology and Spanish major from Fuquay-Varina; and 
• Kathleen Smith, a sophomore Spanish and comparative literature major from Wake Forest.

Also receiving 2007 scholarships from the Herring fund are:

• Britany Nuñez, a junior history major from Spring Hope, in Florence, Italy, at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute;
• Eric Sim, a sophomore business administration and Japanese major from Raleigh, an exchange student at Sophia University in Tokyo; and  
• Deborah Zimmerman, a sophomore English major from Burlington, at the University College Dublin in Ireland.

Joe Henry Jenkins and Jenny C. Jenkins Study Abroad and International Experience Fund
This fund was established in 2004 to honor members of the Jenkins family, 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:

• Pharen Bowman, a junior political science major from Wilmington, now in Florence, Italy, at the Lorenzeo de Medici Institute.
• Sean McKeithan, a sophomore journalism and mass communications major from Duck, now in London in an internship offered in collaboration with Boston University. 

Charles Garland Johnson Sr. Scholarships
Carolina alumni Mary Anne Johnson Dickson and Neal Johnson of Charlotte established the fund supporting these awards in 2002 to honor their late father, a banker and leader in Elkin. The fund offers need-based and merit-based study abroad scholarships to undergraduates from Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

Recipient Charlotte Woltz, a sophomore business major from Mount Airy, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the COPA: Argentine Universities 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 fund provides at least one scholarship per year for study in Latin America. The recipients, both in Cuba with the UNC Semester in Havana program, are:

• Laura Baker, a junior women’s studies and international studies major from Harkers Island; and 
• Danielle Drobot, a senior international studies major from Wilmington.

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 Hayley Watson, a junior English major from Charlotte, is attending the University of Wollongong in Wollongong, Australia. 

Laura Richards Study Abroad Scholarship
Laura Richards, a 1994 Carolina graduate and resident of London, established a fund in 1999 to provide at least one scholarship annually for an international studies major.

Recipient Kendall Gurske, a sophomore French and international studies major from Charlotte, is in the School for International Training’s Arts and Culture program in Dakar, Senegal.

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, Horace 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, targeting students who wish to pursue new academic or personal interests through international experiences.

Recipient Laura Gruenhagen, a junior biology major from Pinehurst, is in Florence, Italy, at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute.

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Study abroad contact: Dr. Robert Miles, (919) 962-7002, bob.miles@unc.edu
News Services contact: L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589