(clockwise from top left: Maria Julian, Allison Francis, Serena White, Carolyn Brueggemann, Kirstin Bobbitt, Kathryn Klassen, Kierigan McEvoy, and Samuel Gorecki)

Kirstin Bobbitt, Carolyn Brueggemann, Allison Francis, Samuel Gorecki, Maria Julian, Kierigan McEvoy, and Serena White have each been awarded $25,000 David L. Boren Scholarships to fund language-focused study abroad during the 2024-2025 academic year. Kathryn Klassen and Ira Meadows have been named alternates in the competition. 

WKU has been named a Top Performing Institution with these results, ranking fourth in the nation for Boren Scholarships alongside Brigham Young University and University of Maryland. The top three institutions are Indiana University (12), University of Georgia (11), and University of Mississippi (10). WKU students have historically been quite successful in Boren Awards competition; since 2012, 36 of 62 total applicants have been awarded, exceeding the national selection rate by nearly 20%. This is the first year in which 7 students have received awards, however, exceeding the previous annual record by 2; 5 WKU students won in 2016, 2019, and 2020. 

The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), a federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. Boren Awards provide U.S. undergraduate and graduate students with resources and encouragement to acquire language skills and experience in countries critical to the future security and stability of the United States. The Boren Awards fund, in particular, study abroad longer than six months in countries outside western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with significant language components (greater than 15 hours per week). This year’s national cohort of Boren Scholars and Fellows intend to study in 40 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and South America. They will study 34 different languages, the most popular of which are Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Swahili, Turkish, and Indonesian. In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to work in the federal government for a period of at least one year. Boren awardees receive significant early-career support after graduating, as well as preference in hiring. It is, therefore, a key program for students interested in federal careers and issues with international dimensions. 

All seven students named Boren Scholars are members of WKU’s intensive Chinese Flagship Program (CFP). The CFP is intended to advance students to a level of fluency required to operate in a professional environment—often from zero experience at the beginning of their undergraduate career. In the Capstone Year, which will be funded by the Boren Scholarship, Flagship students spend the first semester enrolled directly in courses at a host university and the second semester in a professional internship related to their academic and career goals. 

2024 Boren Scholarship awardees: 

Kirstin Bobbit of Clarksville, Tennessee is studyingChinese and International Affairs, with a minor in Military Science. Kirstin plans to commission as a 2LT in the US Army and branch Military Intelligence. 

Carolyn Brueggemann is the daughter of Teresa and Jack Brueggemann of Florence studying Chinese, International Affairs, and Spanish. After Capstone, Carolyn plans to attend medical schooland pursue a career in Emergency Medicine. 

Allison Francis is the daughter of Roger and Tammy Francisof Louisville studying Chinese and Environmental, Sustainability and Geographic studies with a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. After Capstone, Allison plans to pursue graduate study in Marine Science and a career in the Environmental Protection Agency on ocean and coastal conservation. 

Samuel Gorecki is the son of Kerri and Joel Goreckiof New Lenox, Illinois studying Chinese and International Business, with a concentration in International Management. After Capstone, he plans to pursue a career in the federal government as a trade analyst. 

Maria Julian is the daughter of Tricia and Jim Julian of Louisville studying Chinese, International Affairs, and Sociology. After Capstone, Maria plans to pursue a career in the USAID’s Bureau of Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation to expand opportunities and support for gender equality worldwide.  

Kierigan McEvoy is the daughter of Amy and Patrick McEvoy of St. Charles, Missouri studying Asian Religions and Cultures, Chinese, and International Affairs, with a minor in Military Science. After Capstone, Kierigan plans to commission as a 2LT in the US Army and branch Military Intelligence. 

Serena White is the daughter of Marcia and Shelby White of Richmond studying Chinese and International Affairs. After Capstone, she hopes to teach English and complete a graduate degree abroad before pursuing a career in policy analysis in the federal government. 

2024 Boren Scholarship Alternates: 

Kathryn Klassen of Santa Clarita, California is studying Asian Religions and Cultures, Chinese, and International Affairs. After Capstone, Kathryn plans to explore opportunities for English teaching or graduate study abroad. 

Ira Meadows of Glasgow is the daughter of Connie Jessup and the late Richard Meadows studying International Affairs and International Business, with a concentration in Global Trade and Economy. She plans to continue her education abroad and pursue a career in public service. 

“The National Security Education Program,” according to Dr. Clare Bugary, Director of DLNSEO, “has transformed how U.S. higher education approaches the study of foreign languages and cultures of the work and provides Americans opportunities to learn, grow and serve.” 

Since 1994, over 8000 American students have received Boren Awards and contributed their vital skills to careers in support of the critical missions of agencies throughout the federal government. “To continue to play a leadership role in the world, it is vital that America’s future leaders have a deep understanding of the rest of the world,” says former U.S. Senator David Boren, the principal author of the legislation that created the National Security Education Program. “As we seek to lead through partnerships, understanding of other cultures and languages is absolutely essential.” 

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development mentors students applying for national scholarships to fund “academic extras” such as study abroad, research, professional experience, and more. From first drafts to final submissions with multiple revisions in between, OSD helps students make more possible. By conceptualizing and revising the stories they tell in application essays and interviews, students better understand their strengths, interests, and purpose—and explore multiple possible pathways to that work. 

About the Chinese Flagship Program: WKU's federally funded Chinese Flagship Program dynamically integrates Chinese language instruction in every stage of the undergraduate educational path. It is designed to bring talented students who start with no knowledge of Chinese up to superior levels of proficiency by the time they graduate from college by infusing study in the Mahurin Honors College with Chinese language learning opportunities, incorporating a series of mandatory study abroad experiences and internships throughout students’ collegiate careers, and transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries that separate language education from learning within the major. 

Contact: Melinda Grimsley melinda.grimsley@wku.edu