Five Waynesburg University students were recently selected to receive travel scholarships from the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership.
The program is an initiative of the Heinz Endowments. The purpose is to prepare women for global challenges by means of leadership development, travel and community service. Universities and colleges across Pennsylvania participate in the program, which provides scholarships of at least $5,000 to recipients who have never left the United States before. Collectively, the Waynesburg University recipients will receive more than $30,000.
Waynesburg scholarship recipients this year include Tessa Masula, Sara Byler, Samantha Bruffy, Rebekah Rhodes and Megan Leiter.
While colleges and universities are typically only awarded three scholarships to grant to students, Waynesburg University has often been awarded more than its share. According to Pat Bristor, associate dean of students, when an institution does not fill all three spots, the remaining scholarships become available to alternates from other schools. Waynesburg University students have consistently been chosen for the extra scholarships.
“I think it’s just that [our applicants] are much more well-prepared, have a pretty good idea of where they want to go, what they want to study, how it’s going to fit into their major, how it’s going to fit into their career,” said Bristor.
Bristor said each student recipient created a detailed proposal to outline their plans for studying and engaging in a foreign community.
Masula, junior English literature and secondary education major, will study acting and literature in England at the Globe Theater. There, she plans to learn about British Fantasy and the origins of influential stories that have stood the test of time.
Byler, junior sociology major, will study in Meknes, Morocco. She will spend four weeks taking classes on Islamic politics and culture and Arabic, before spending another four weeks in a service learning program connected to a nonprofit.
Leiter, sophomore nursing major, will study in Amsterdam, Netherlands, taking a global health class and a course about mental health in an international context. Leiter would like to participate in medical missions in the future, and she is excited to expand her knowledge on healthcare.
Bruffy, senior chemistry major, will travel with the Counsel for International Education Exchange to study public health issues in Gaborone, Botswana. Bruffy plans to pursue a career in medical research and is looking forward to working with a program focused on scientific and social health problems.
Rhodes, sophomore nursing major, will travel to India to take classes in Hindi, Indian culture and traditions and healthcare. She hopes to learn about the country’s healthcare system, with plans to be a nurse and missionary in India in the future.
The Heinz Endowments is devoted to the mission of helping our region prosper as a vibrant center of creativity, learning, and social, economic and environmental sustainability. Core to its work is the vision of a just community where all are included and where everyone who calls southwestern Pennsylvania home has a real and meaningful opportunity to thrive.
