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Students
Receive Prestigious Fellowship Awards for Study Abroad
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Nine Pomona students have been awarded prestigious
fellowships for travel and study abroad. Five Pomona members
of the Class of 2005 have been awarded fellowships by the
Freeman Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing
the number of American undergraduates who study in East and
Southeast Asia. Four 2004 graduates have received grants
from the Rotary Foundation that will pay for graduate-level
education and travel in the countries of their choice.
Freeman Scholars:
The Freeman scholars are: Susan Hoang, Leeshai Lemish, James
Mok, Alison Rapoport and Abiel Reinhart.
Alison Rapoport will be traveling to various places in
Vietnam to research Vietnamese memory about what is known to
the Vietnamese people as the “American War.” She says she is
specifically interested in “the nature of memory as
expressed in verbal testimony and physical memorials to the
conflict.” She continues, “I originally became interested in
the question of memorialization while studying the Holocaust
in my Religious Studies courses. Of particular interest to
me is the structure and symbolism of physical monuments and
memorials.”
Rapoport has an existing connection to Vietnam, since her
parents have lived there for the last three years. She
remarks, “ When I heard about the Freeman, I decided it
represented a wonderful opportunity for me to explore my
interest in memorialization and to spend more time trying to
understand Vietnam and the history of the war. I believe
that understanding the way in which people view the past can
contribute to cross-cultural understanding.” She eventually
plans to attend medical school, and will enjoy the
opportunity to acquire skills during her upcoming travels
that can be used abroad in the medical field.
James Mok will go to Beijing and Nanjing, China, to study
museums and memorials commemorating people and events in the
War against Japanese Aggression. Specifically, he is
interested in analyzing “use of space, architecture,
exhibition content, and tours as forms of memory of war.”
The seed for this project came from the seminar “State and
Citizen in Modern Japan” taught by Professor of History
Samuel Yamashita. Mok, an Asian Studies major, plans to use
his research for his senior thesis and hopes that his
travels will create opportunities for postgraduate schooling
or work.
Long interested in Chinese culture, society and related
trends, Leeshai Lemish plans to spend time in various
regions of Southeast Asia getting to know the overseas
Chinese community in those areas, their connections to
Mainland China and their general attitudes toward China. The
project complements his undergraduate studies at Pomona, as
an Asian Studies major with a focus on China and Chinese
history. His minor in Chinese will be an advantage in
conducting interviews with native speakers of Chinese,
although he admits that that aspect will be the most
“challenging” for him. Lemish says about his future plans,
“After graduating from Pomona I plan on continuing to
graduate studies focusing on China, and hope to be able to
conduct similar projects in the future. I believe this
research will provide insight about the large and diverse
overseas communities around the world.”
Rotary Scholars:
Jacquline DuBose, Elizabeth Holley, Elizabeth Redman, and
Anna Rooke were awarded scholarships by the Rotary
Foundation for graduate study at the foreign university of
their choice. Scholars indicate four location choices in
order of preference and are notified at a later date where
they will be studying. Graduates Samantha Brown and Elena
Shih have also been named alternates for the program.
Elizabeth Redman, who earned her degree in public policy
analysis and economics, already has considerable experience
through internships in fields of economics on which to draw
for her graduate study in a university in South America.
After interning as a research assistant for the Brookings
Institution her junior year, she decided to take on her own
research project. Driven by the belief that companies can do
well financially without sacrificing other stakeholder
interests, she began to study companies' motivations for
corporate social responsibility. Through several
departmental and summer research grants, Pomona College
provided her the opportunity to travel both nationally and
internationally to interview business executives and policy
leaders about the best way to integrate social and
environmental obligations into business goals. Through the
Rotary program, she will expand her research to South
America where she plans to work with several organizations
that educate the public and companies about issues of
corporate social responsibility.
Jacqueline DuBose plans to study in Kingston, Jamaica, at
the University of the West Indies to further research and
education in her Black Studies degree. Her interests, she
says, focus on “single mothers in urban areas and women and
labor.” She plans to further her studies of global
perspectives on women’s daily labor in urban areas after
attending law school. At Pomona, Dubose worked closely with
Professor of Art History and Black Studies Phyllis Jackson.
Graduate Elizabeth Holley’s first choice for study is Oslo,
Norway. She will continue her studies in environmental
geology by taking graduate-level classes in geology and
ecology, in addition to just “soaking in the cultural
experience while abroad.” Her future plans involve a career
in public policy or teaching. “The United States has an
acute need for science-based environmental action,” she
says, “and I hope to study techniques and methods in my host
country. Eventually, I will apply this to a research,
policy, or teaching career in environmental geology and
conservation.”
The Freeman Fellowships for study abroad are administered by
the Institute for International Education in conjunction
with the Freeman Foundation. According to the Institute,
“Study abroad for U.S. students is expanding rapidly, but
the number of students heading to Asia has not kept pace
with the rest of the world. Awardees will be expected to
share their experiences with their home campus to encourage
study abroad by others, and to spread understanding of Asia
in their home communities.”
The Rotary Foundation promotes international understanding
and friendly relations through sponsorship of study abroad
programs for people interested in acting as goodwill
ambassadors. The one-year Academic Year Ambassadorial
Scholarship award may be used in any country where Rotary
Clubs are located, and provides up to $25,000 for tuition,
fees, and other expenses. In addition to academic study,
Rotary Scholars are expected to be outstanding ambassadors
of good will to the people of the host country through both
informal and formal appearances at clubs, schools, civic
organizations, and other forums.
Pomona College, one of the nation’s premier liberal arts
institutions, offers a comprehensive program in the arts,
humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Founded in
1887, its hallmarks include small classes, close
relationships between students and faculty, and a range of
opportunities for student research. Each year, Pomona
students receive some of the most prestigious awards for
undergraduate and graduate study and travel in many parts of
the world.
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