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ISEP Awards 14 Students Annette Kade Language Learning Scholarships

May 22, 2019

ISEP has announced the 14 recipients of the Annette Kade Scholarship for fall 2019 and academic year 2019-20 programs. These ISEP students will study at French or German speaking ISEP Member Institutions.

The Annette Kade Scholarships are awarded twice annually to students from ISEP Member Institutions across the U.S. Through an essay-based application and endorsement from their home institutions, Annette Kade Scholars are awarded scholarships based on their demonstrated financial need and determination to advance their language-learning skills while immersed in an academic setting.

“The Annette Kade Scholarships is a long-term commitment for ISEP, and we’re honored to administer these awards each year – supporting our value of language learning as well as our mission to expand access and affordability across study abroad programs,” said John Lucas, ISEP President and CEO.

A grant from the Annette Kade Fund provides support for the scholarships which range between US$500 and US$1,500 per award. Since 2002, more than 475 ISEP students have received an Annette Kade Scholarship.

Annette Kade Scholars for Fall 2019 and Academic Year 2019-20


Sami Breir from Nebraska Wesleyan University will study abroad at Université de Nantes in France.

“My career goal is to become a French teacher and to help achieve it, I am going to study abroad in Nantes, France. I chose French because it has always been a fascinating language to me as I grew up with it in Morocco. I spoke it fluently growing up, but when moving back to the U.S., I began to forget it as it became my third language that was never used. My personal goal in studying in France is to regain my fluency and gain new cultural knowledge about France and other Francophone countries.”


Emma Bryan from University of Vermont will study abroad at Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France for a full year.

Emma Bryan, of White River Junction, Vermont, is a current sophomore at the University of Vermont studying French and linguistics. Her passion for languages began at age ten while teaching herself French, and continued to develop through high school, along with her dream of one day studying in France. Her goal is to learn as many languages as possible, but first, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to master the French language during her full-year ISEP exchange program at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc! When not reading French novels, Emma loves being outside in the beautiful mountains of Vermont, or in the kitchen whipping up some kind of delicious pâtisserie.”


Sarah Coates from Virginia Tech will study abroad at Université de Nantes in France.

Sarah Coates is a sophomore at Virginia Tech studying International Public Policy and French. She is from Madison County, a small rural town in Central Virginia. Her Christian faith is an integral part of her life, and she is involved in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship on Virginia Tech’s campus. She loves culture and learning about cultures different than her own in an effort to understand and love people better.


Eleanor Conley from University of Southern Indiana will study abroad at Université de Caen in France.

“My future profession is Nursing and I believe it is our job as citizens of the world to expose ourselves to different languages and cultures. Without this exposure we cannot expect to understand fellow humans and reach a greater global understanding. I believe that this global perspective is necessary for me to be the best nurse I can be; serving patients from all nationalities and backgrounds to the best of my abilities. That’s why I’m excited to study French in Caen!”


Jennifer Cox from Kennesaw State University will study abroad at Université de Picardie Jules Verne in France.

“My major is French and I have minors in Linguistics and International Affairs. I love learning languages, drawing, reading, and participating in research. When I first came to college three years ago, I was in another major and was completely uninterested in school. After discovering the cultural benefits of speaking multiple languages through a viral video online, I began taking French classes and threw myself into language learning. By the end of the semester, I had become a French major. Three years later, I have plans to study abroad in Amiens, France and take Linguistics classes alongside French students. After graduating, I hope to study French Linguistics in grad school and become a French professor. Hopefully I will be able to inspire other college students to see the benefits of language learning and education as a whole. I am very grateful to the Annette Kade Scholarship for allowing me to take my language skills to the next level in France next semester.”


Olivia Ferguson from Western Washington University will study abroad at Aix-Marseille Université in France.

“I am majoring in Spanish and Design with a minor in French. I am 20 years old. I am going to Aix-en-Provence this fall to study French and further my language skills. I am very excited and look forward to living in France as I have been there one time and it has been my dream ever since. In my free time I like to run, hike, camp, and skateboard. I am very excited to see what this experience will bring!”


Hayley Haden from Hendrix College will study abroad at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 in France.

“I am a Mathematical Economics Major at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. I am a native Austinite who moved from Texas to Arkansas for college. While at Montpellier, I will be taking a semester break from math and economics and instead will focus on my language learning. I am so excited to be going to the Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3. I cannot wait to be immersed in the culture and have the chance to expand my knowledge and discover new parts of myself. I am also very thankful to the Annette Kade Scholarship for helping me make this a possibility.


Carlos Antonio Henriquez Henriquez from Randolph-Macon College will study abroad at Technische Universität Dortmund in Germany.

Carlos was born in San Salvador, El Salvador in 1998. He is currently a rising sophomore at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, U.S. He is majoring in International Commerce and minoring in German. He studied high school at UWC Robert Bosch College in Freiburg, Germany, where he obtained the International Baccalaureate Diploma. After his graduation he took part of the 8-month cultural immersion program Global Citizen Year in Florianópolis, Brazil.


Leigha Little from University of Nebraska at Omaha will study abroad at Université de Nantes in France.

”I’m majoring in French and minoring in English. When I was in middle school I thought that my desire to go to France was only a dream. It is important for young students to know that studying abroad is accessible and can be affordable. Additionally, the program I chose involves test preparation for an exam called the DELF, which when taken successfully, allows one to pursue a job in teaching or translating French. When I return I plan on taking this test and eventually applying for a position in the French field in Omaha. This experience abroad will help me qualify for new opportunities to speak and study French upon my return. I was was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, but have a desire to travel the world. I’m a Goodrich Scholar and director of the Goodrich Organization Mentor Program, where I help first-year college students acclimate to the college environment. I started my French studies in eighth grade and have continued to pursue this passion since. I manage and serve at a restaurant part-time to save up for my grand travel plans.”


Alan Martinez from Nebraska Wesleyan University will study abroad at Université de Lille in France.

“I am 22 years old, and I was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. I am majoring in International Business with minors in Modern Language (French), Communication Studies and Marketing. I speak three languages, Spanish, English and French, and I am very excited to study abroad in France through an ISEP Exchange Program. I really love to travel and learn about other cultures. This is the main reason why I decided to become trilingual. I think that languages are the keys to open other cultures’ doors. I also like to make friends from all over the world, and learn from them. I am a guy who likes any kind of challenge, and I know going to France for a semester will be a big one, but I also know that it will be the best experience of my life. The Annette Kade Scholarship will really help me to get to know the French culture, and to be able to improve my French.”


Kate Russell from Southwestern University will study abroad at Aix-Marseille University in France.

“I am originally from San Antonio, Texas, and I am loving Southwestern! I am a Communications Studies Major and a French Minor. In addition to my studies I hold officer positions in my sorority, Tri Delta, and a community service organization called The BIG Event. Through these organizations I have been able to take on leadership positions and find a love for helping others. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to expand my knowledge of the French language and culture by studying abroad in France and I am excited to grow in my studies and as a person.”


Erika Spaulding from Bridgewater College will study abroad at Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany.

“I am studying, business, German, and art. I have always wanted to study in Germany as it is the heritage that my grandmother raised me with. I am excited to study abroad and I hope to learn a lot and have an incredible cultural learning experience”


Maria Vergara Pinilla from Missouri Southern State University will study abroad at Université de Caen in France.

“My name is Maria Vergara, and I was born in Bogota, Colombia. At the age of 16, after finishing high school, I moved to Joplin, Missouri and started college at Missouri Southern State University. I am double majoring in political science and international studies with a minor in international politics. Also, I am pursuing two certificates, one in legal studies and another one in international relations and diplomacy. I am currently a senior and I expect to graduate in May of 2020. Throughout my experience at Missouri Southern, I have participated in different extracurricular activities such as Mock Trial, Model UN, and Model European Union. I am also a member of various clubs and organizations including the International Club, the Spanish Club, Catholics on Campus, Phi Alpha Delta, and I am the current treasurer for the Political Science Association. I have been heavily involved with campus activities by being the student representative for the MSSU diversity and inclusion committee and by serving as a member of student senate, where I received the 2019 Leadership and Service Award. Also, since 2017, I have worked part-time on campus as a Spanish tutor and as language lab assistant. In my spare time I study for the LSAT and enjoy reading non-science fiction. I am looking forward to learning French as my third language, and then coming back to Missouri Southern and obtain my degrees.”


Karisa Westom from Whitworth University will study abroad at Université de Caen in France.

“I grew up in Africa flying with my father as he served isolated mountain people through Mission Aviation Fellowship. My mother home schooled me and my two sisters for the ten years we spent in Lesotho, a small country surrounded by South Africa, until I was 16, when we moved to Boise, Idaho in the U.S. There, I attended a Classical Christian School, where my love for writing blossomed. The Ambrose School was an incredible place to explore and learn. I ran in Cross Country, took art classes, participated in Drama, and read many interesting books, like Paradise Lost. Those long and sometimes complicated stories taught me to find beauty in all stages of life, which I strove to do as I moved to Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Whitworth gave me the opportunity to consider ideas I had not encountered before. I became an Environmental Studies minor in order to better understand the world I found so delightful. The largest opportunity Whitworth presented is to study abroad in France, an experience I hope will grow me and my appreciation for different cultures, as a Global Sociology major, and my understanding of the French language.”

About the Annette Kade Scholarship

With the generous support of The Annette Kade Fund, ISEP offers these scholarships to students at U.S. ISEP Member Institutions who plan to study French or German while abroad. Awards are made following a review of applications that focus on language learning and demonstrated financial need to study abroad. Applications include essays and an endorsement from the applicant’s home institution.

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