ASU's first recipient of the Warner-Fong Fellowship announced

Through the Warner-Fong Endowment, the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University has awarded a fellowship to outstanding student Will Smith.

Smith is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Asia Studies with a concentration in China. He is a member of Barrett, The Honors College and is a partipcipant in the ASU Chinese Language Flagship at the School of International Letters and Cultures in partnership with Sichuan University in Chengdu. His time in China includes three summer programs sponsored by the Chinese government and one by the U.S. Department of State.

Smith is also the recipient of the ASU Alumni Association Devil’s Pride Scholarship, and he serves as vice president of ASU’s LGBTA coalition. He is a gifted tenor in both the ASU Men’s Chorus and the ASU Choral Ensemble.

The Warner-Fong Endowment was created in 1986 by Lilly Ong Hing Fong (ASU ’49) in honor of both Ila Marie White Warner, for her inspiring example of service to the community and loyalty to her alma mater, and Lilly Ong Hing Fong’s parents, Ong C. Hing and Helen Hing, for their love, sacrifice and the educational encouragement that enabled their 10 children to pursue a college education.

The Warner-Fong Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming freshman or transfer student who is choosing to major in Asia Studies. The fellowship is granted in consideration of the student’s academic merit and his or her commitment to the field of study.

The Bachelor of Arts in Asia Studies offers students the opportunity to study East Asia, South Asia or Southeast Asia in depth through a coherent concentration of academic study across a number of disciplines. The interdisciplinary approach prepares students to deploy a variety of intellectual tools to address contemporary political, social and cultural issues in Asia and to apply their knowledge in various academic and practical settings.

This degree is offered through the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University.