Elon juniors Mykel L. Dodson and Sarah Vavreck have won national scholarships through the nonprofit Institute of International Education to help fund their upcoming study abroad programs.
Dodson is majoring in communications with a concentration in broadcast and new media with a minor in music. He has completed coursework in the Japanese language through the Intermediate I level.
The deadline for online applications for spring 2009 study abroad program in Japan with Kansai Gaidai is Aug. 1, 2008.
Vavreck has been awarded a $5,000 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to help fund her fall 2008 semester at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, which takes part in an exchange program with Elon.
Vavreck is majoring in human services and has a minor in psychology. She is a member of the Periclean Scholars program and has worked on several service projects to benefit organizations in Ghana.
The Freeman-ASIA Program funds US students studying abroad in East Asia. The Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies offers programs in the following countries eligible for Freeman Awards: China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they study. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is administered by the Institute of International Education.