Nine Nebraska Wesleyan University students and a professor were honored during the 2010-2011 academic year with national prestigious scholarships and internships.
Two students and a history professor won Fulbright scholarships, the flagship international education program sponsored by the U.S. government. This year’s Fulbright Scholarship winners are:
- Jeff Seems: a communication major from Highlands Ranch, Colo., who will teach English in Germany.
- Brittney Hrabik: an accounting, international business and German major from Murdock. She will also teach English in Germany.
- Meghan Winchell: Associate Professor of History who will spend a year in Estonia where she will teach history at the University of Tartu.
Two students were awarded Boren Scholarships. This award provides $20,000 to undergraduates to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests. Only 151 students were selected. This year’s Boren Scholars are:
- Lesley Dudden: a political science and global studies major from Venango. She will study in Turkey for a year.
- Matthew Emerton of Burwell, who majored in exercise science. He will spend a year in Bangkok, Thailand.
Lindsey Jones, a biochemistry major from Lincoln, was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship. This honor goes to students studying math, science or engineering and provides $7,500 each year for two years to be used toward tuition, fees and books. Jones was one of 275 students in the nation selected for the scholarship.
Ginny Koch of Lincoln, an international business and German major, will spend a year in Germany thanks to the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals Award. She is among the 75 students selected for the honor and the first Nebraska Wesleyan University student to win the scholarship. The award will send her to Germany in July where she will participate in intensive language study. She will then spend four months in classroom instruction and then five months in an internship.
Three athletes were recognized for their athletic and academic success during the 2010-2011 academic year. Kevin Janata was among 29 male athletes in the nation in all division selected to receive a $7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Janata ran track and field for the Prairie Wolves. Janata was also named a Capital One Academic All-American.
Jackie Spelts earned a $7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for the spring sports season. She ran cross country and track for the Prairie Wolves, and was one of 29 female athletes in the nation in all divisions to receive the honor.
Softball player Marcia Kennedy was named a Capital One Academic All-American. NWU ranks among the all-time leaders in the entire nation with 70 student athletes winning 109 Academic All-American honors. Nebraska Wesleyan is tied for 12th with UCLA among all schools at all levels of competition for its number of Academic All-American awards, and has the most Academic All-America awards in the GPAC.
In addition, Nebraska Wesleyan student Sarah Hotovy of York is one of 10 students selected for the Freeman Foundation Indonesia Nonprofit Internship Program. Hotovy, a biochemistry and political science major, is spending eight weeks this summer studying language and culture in Indonesia. She is also interning at the Humana Foundation Institute for Social Research.