WKU News

Three Western Kentucky University students have been selected as recipients of a 2023 Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant.

Kathryn Klassen of Santa Clarita, California; Cameron Taylor of LaGrange, Kentucky; and Serena White of Richmond, Kentucky, were among 125 students from across the nation who were awarded the $1,000 grants.

Klassen, a sophomore majoring in Chinese, international affairs, Asian religions and cultures, will travel abroad in Taipei, Taiwan.

Taylor, a junior majoring in instrumental music education, will travel abroad to Salzburg, Austria.

White, a junior majoring in Chinese and international affairs, will travel abroad at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. The grants are designed to support undergraduates, both members and nonmembers from campuses that have Phi Kappa Phi chapters, as they seek expanded knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. 

The selection process for a study abroad grant is based on the applicant’s academic achievement, campus and community service, relation of travel to academic preparation and career goals, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and acceptance into a study abroad program. Each recipient receives $1,000 to be applied toward travel abroad.

Established in 2001, the Study Abroad Grant Program is part of the Society’s robust portfolio of award and grant programs, which gives $1.3 million each year to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. To learn more about the Study Abroad Program and other Phi Kappa Phi awards, visit www.phikappaphi.org/awards.

About Phi Kappa Phi: Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 325 select colleges and universities in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society's mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engage the community of scholars in service to others." For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

Contact: Alyssa Papa, (225) 923-7777 or apapa@phikappaphi.org

-WKU-

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.