5 ASU students receive Boren Awards for critical foreign language study
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The Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement (ONSA) has announced that five Arizona State University students have received Boren Awards for immersive study of foreign languages critical to United States foreign interests.
Sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), Boren Awards range up to $30,000 to fund substantial study abroad experiences from three months to a full year. For the 2024 cycle, over 300 students nationwide received undergraduate scholarships or graduate fellowships to study in over 40 countries.
“The Boren Awards program provides remarkable opportunities for our students to pursue substantive careers related to U.S. national security,” said Kyle Mox, associate dean of national scholarship advisement for ONSA. “Our consistent high output of Boren recipients is a testament to our commitment to public service and global engagement.”
Of the five Boren Award recipients, two are undergraduate students and will receive scholarships of up to $25,000. The awardees are Lakshmi Sawhney, a political science and history double major who will study Hindi in India, and Amber Sheardown, who also majors in political science and will study Portuguese in Brazil.
“I have a passion for public service, global politics and cultures, and I have always wanted to be proficient in another language,” said Sheardown, who is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “While traveling, working or studying abroad, I noticed that many people overseas are fluent in more than two languages, which I found both intimidating and motivating.”
Sawhney, a student in Barrett, The Honors College at ASU who previously received the Department of State Critical Language Scholarship, will participate in the South Asian Language Flagship Initiative (SAFLI), a special Boren Awards program that combines domestic language study and immersive study at a language training center in India. In the long term, she plans to work for the Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and focus on human rights issues.
The remaining three Boren awardees are graduate students and will receive up to $30,000 as Boren Fellows. Theresa (Tessa) DeConcini will study Romanian in Romania, while Esteban Espinoza and Vincent Lay will both study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan.
“The Boren Fellowship will allow me to immerse myself in a new foreign language that few Americans study,” said DeConcini, who received a bachelor's degree in global studies with honors from Barrett in 2022. “Although it may seem like a nontraditional step in my career path as a sustainability scientist, I think that the professional and personal experiences that I’ll gain in Romania will make me a more empathetic, precise and innovative researcher in my field.”
In the long term, DeConcini plans to pursue doctoral study related to national security, climate change and environmental quality, and establish a career in the Department of State.
Espinoza, a master’s student in global security, will use the Boren Fellowship to fund his ASU Chinese Language Flagship program capstone year in Taiwan, where he will achieve professional-level proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. Following his time abroad, he plans to build upon his previous experience as an information technology officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and pursue a career in the intelligence community.
Lay received a bachelor's degree in bioinformatics and genomics with honors from Barrett in 2012. Currently a master’s student in industrial design engineering, he plans to pursue a career as a foreign service officer and specialize in Taiwanese–American affairs.
A key benefit of the Boren Awards program is that it provides a pathway to federal employment in national security-related agencies. Boren Scholars and Fellows receive professional mentoring and assistance with applying for federal jobs, with the intention of creating a pipeline of talented, committed public servants who are familiar with a wide range of languages and cultures.
“Professionally, it will provide me with the tools and experiences I need to contribute meaningfully to the U.S. Foreign Service,” Sheardown said.
The Boren Awards are highly competitive, and applicants spend several weeks preparing competitive applications with the help of ONSA staff. Once drafts of their applications are complete, the hopeful Boren applicants then participate in evaluation interviews with ASU faculty. After applying the final feedback to their materials, the applicants submit their applications.
“I found out I was accepted right before graduation while I was sitting at a coffee shop refreshing my application page like I would on any other day,” Sheardown said. “I was so nervous about reading the letter and so excited to see that I was accepted. I felt on top of the world but also extremely grateful to everyone who helped me with my application, including all the recommenders, without whom I couldn't have done it.”
Over the past 10 years, 31 ASU students have received Boren Awards, an output that ranks the university in the top tier of U.S. colleges and universities.
“Our continued strong performance in this program is only possible because of our committed partnerships with The Melikian Center, the Chinese Language Flagship program, the Pat Tillman Veterans Center and the School of International Letters and Cultures,” Mox said.
The next application cycle will begin in October. Current ASU undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in applying for Boren Awards should register for an upcoming information session and schedule an intake meeting with an ONSA advisor.
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