June 2026: Sabrina Langerak, a recent BSU graduate and member of the women’s golf team, has received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship! She was one of only 21 female spring sport athletes nationwide to receive the $10,000 scholarship, recognizing her accomplishments in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and community service.
Sabrina recently graduated summa cum laude, with a perfect 4.0 GPA, having majored in business administration. She was named a Ball State Top 25 Student in 2025. Other academic accolades include designations as an Academic All-Mid-American for one year as well as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Honors recipient and a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Scholar Athlete, for two years each. This fall, she will enter the Master of Business Administration program at Ball State.
Athletically, Sabrina contributed to the golf team setting a record this year for the lowest team scoring average in Ball State history. Sabrina has also distinguished herself as an individual competitor, setting records for Ball State’s second lowest single season scoring average and sixth lowest career scoring average. Sabrina was also named MAC Player of the Week in 2024. This year, she finished the MAC Tournament in the Top 10 and earned MAC Second Team honors.
Sabrina has also participated in three service trips to Kenya and other community service efforts on campus and in the Muncie community. She served on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes/Athletes in Action leadership team and founded and led a golf team Bible study.
Regarding her master’s degree and career path, Sabrina commented, “In the next two years, I will pursue an MBA with a concentration in business analytics, while serving as a graduate assistant on the women’s golf team. Courses in business analytics will equip me with the strategic skills necessary to use data to its fullest potential in my coaching career, leading to measurable improvement in my players. Ultimately, I aspire to coach collegiate golf, using a combination of a growth mindset and data analytics to build a thriving team culture and give young golfers the tools necessary to create meaningful impact through their own careers.”
May 2026: ONCS is thrilled to announce that biology major Gino Trujillo has been awarded a Freeman-ASIA scholarship to study for a semester at Akita International University in Japan in the coming year. Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) provides funding to U.S. undergraduate students who wish to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia, with the aim of increasing the number of Americans with first-hand exposure to Asian cultures and languages. One of the main criteria for this scholarship is demonstrationof sincere interest in and commitment to Asia. Gino, who takes Japanese at Ball State and is active in Japanese clubs on campus, will be taking Japanese courses during his study abroad. He will also take advantage of many opportunities to learn about the culture and practice the language throughout his time in Japan.
Gino says, “I’m super excited to be immersed in a language that I have been studying for quite a long time.”
He is also inspired to continue pursuing his big dreams, including earning a degree in biology and eventually teaching the subject as a high school teacher. He explains, “This award to me doesn’t just mean I get to study abroad, but also signifies that anything is possible not only for my family but anyone.”
The Freeman-ASIA award requires that recipients share information about their experiences abroad with other students upon return to their home campuses. Gino plans to develop a video to be shared with other STEM students, showcasing the benefits of learning about STEM in Japan. The video will include discussion of flora and fauna specific to Japan, as well as the unique ways that chemistry and environmental science are taught in Japan.
Gino was named in a previous announcement as having also earned a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for this same study abroad trip.
May 2026: Six BSU undergraduates—Kamille Bunting, Ashlynn Duckworth, Aubree Ellis, Nicholas Mackie, Biak Thang,—have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for study abroad in the coming months!
The Gilman Scholarship helps to fill financial gaps for undergraduates who are studying abroad. Upon their return to the U.S., recipients are required to carry out a follow-on service project that helps promote international education and understanding.
Kamile Bunting, an architecture major with a minor in interior design, will intern in the Czech Republic this summer through the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) Abroad Full-Time Internship Program. In particular, Kamille has an internship placement at an architecture firm in Prague.
When she returns to campus, Kamille is planning to develop an Honors thesis focused on how architecture can incorporate both tradition and elements that allow for contemporary life. She explains that Prague is the perfect place to prepare for this thesis as well as gain experience that will inform her future practice: “This internship will benefit me academically and professionally by grounding my thesis in direct observation and lived experience rather than abstraction. Daily involvement in a working firm will refine my technical skills, communication, and decision-making.”
For the follow-on project required of Gilman recipients, Kamille wants to encourage other architecture students to intern abroad. She plans to share her internship experiences with students in the first-year architecture studio section for which she will serve as a teaching assistant in the fall. She also plans to develop a spread including images and reflections from architecture students who have studied or intern abroad for the Glue publication, which is designed by and for architecture students.
Ashlynn Duckworth is also an architecture major. She will travel through a Ball State University faculty-led program to Greece and Turkey this month. The program will focus on architecture and is entitled Myth and Magic in the Ancient World.
Ashlynn has long been fascinated by the architecture of the ancient world, recognizing the huge impact ancient styles have had on architecture in the United States and how they continue to influence new designs. She says, ”As a future architect practicing in the United States, I want to experience firsthand the places that have profoundly shaped Western architectural thought – spaces where architecture was not only built to function, but to symbolize civic ideals, ritual, and collective identity.”
Upon her return to campus next semester, Ashlynn will share her experiences with other architecture students by tabling at the CAP Minor Fair. She will display photographs and hand-drawn sketches of significant architectural features of the sites she will visit. She will encourage architecture students to study abroad and to apply for the Gilman scholarship.
Aubree Ellis is a psychology major with minors in human development, counseling, and studio art and is also a member of the Honors College. Aubree will be traveling to Japan this summer through the faculty-led Psychology and Culture in Japan program.
Aubree intends to pursue a career in art therapy and hopes to learn more about both Japanese art and psychology through her study abroad: “I will participate in a home visit to gain a broader understanding of familial life and values in Japan. I will also partake in classic cultural experiences and traditions . . . . and learn the significance of work-life balance as well. . . . I am most excited to explore . . . areas dominated by youth culture, to observe youth fashion and gaming. . . . In my future I would like to work with adolescents; seeing how the adolescent population in Japan is different culturally from the same group in the United States will provide me a better understanding of the psychology of Eastern Asian cultures, ultimately helping me to serve the Asian American population in the US.”
For her follow-on project, Aubree plans to develop art pieces representing her study abroad journey. She will then present her art and information about her experiences abroad to other psychology students in research methods in psychology courses. Aubree wants other students to take advantage of the support Ball State faculty and staff provide as students pursue the Gilman Scholarship and study experiences abroad.
She explains, “This award is very special to me, not only because it allows me to attend a culturally immersive learning opportunity, but also due to the support I received throughout the process. The advisors here, and the professors who recommended the program to me, were incredible to work with, and I am so grateful for what they’ve helped me accomplish.”
Nicholas Mackie, a physics major with a foundations of business minor, will study at University of Pécs in Hungary in the coming academic year. Nicholas is also in the Honors College. Among others, Nicholas will be taking courses focused on laser physics, which is an area within his discipline that he is targeting for his career.
Nicholas explains: “What makes Hungary the right place to do this is the presence of the Extreme Light Infrastructure, one of the most advanced laser research facilities ever constructed. The University of Pécs exists within not research environment, and faculty teaching laser physics are connected to work happening at the frontier of the field. There is a real difference between learning cavity design from someone whose reference point is a textbook and learning it from someone his reference point is a system producing some of the most intense laser pulses on earth.” Because he will be taking courses in STEM, Nicholas was awarded an additional STEM supplemental award in addition to the base Gilman funding.
When he returns to campus, Nicholas plans to present to other physics students about the benefits of study abroad and the Gilman Scholarship. he says that he wants other physics students to understand that study abroad can be a meaningful part of their physics education, not simply an experience in cultural enrichment.
Biak Thang is a Japanese education major. He will study at Nanzan University in Japan for two months this summer. He will be taking courses focused on Japanese language and culture.
Biak intends to make the most of his time in the classroom and the community during his study in Japan: “In the Japanese language class, I will be studying more about the grammar, pronunciation, and particles that I have yet to learn. To increase my understanding of culture, I am taking classes like the “Flower arrangement (ikebana)” class, which will provide hands-on experience with important parts of Japan’s society. I will also take every chance I can to go into the community and make friends using my Japanese and try to have conversations with the elderly as much as possible.” In the future, Biak plans to teach Japanese at the high school level for a few years before pursuing a PhD and university teaching.
For his follow-on project, Biak plans to present to other Japanese students in introductory courses and students in Japanese Club and Japanese Conversation Club. He will also post a video about his experiences to a website for the Japanese American community in Fishers, Indiana.
Gino Trujillo, a biology major, will study as an exchange student at Akita International University in Japan throughout the Fall 2026 semester. Among others, he will be taking chemistry and environmental sciences courses.
Gino received additional STEM funding in addition to the standard Gilman Scholarship. He says, “My long-term goal is to become a high school biology teacher. Taking science courses in Japan will set me up for success in my future profession. These courses will broaden my sense of how lessons can be organized and taught, allowing me to provide students with various ways of understanding a given topic. Also, by taking chemistry and environmental science courses overseas, I am not just advancing my degree but, also, preparing to teach science in a globally informed way.”
To spread awareness of the benefits of study abroad, particularly for STEM students, Gino plans to develop a video to be shared with other STEM students, showcasing the benefits of learning about STEM while abroad. The video will include discussion of flora and fauna specific to the area surrounding Akita International University, as well as the unique ways that chemistry and environmental science are taught in Japan.
The federally-funded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides up to $5,000* to U.S. undergraduate students pursuing academic studies abroad, to better prepare them to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. (*Additional support is available to selected students who will study Critical Need Languages or conduct STEM research while abroad.)
May 2026: We have news from the Fulbright program! ONCS could not be prouder to announce that there are five Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees from Ball State University this year. The Fulbright Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was designed to aid in the mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and citizens of other countries, to promote world peace through education and understanding. Fulbrighters go abroad for 10-12 months for fully-funded experiences.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards send recipients abroad to teach English, and Fulbright Study awards send recipients abroad to pursue degrees at international universities. We have awardees in each category.
Fulbright ETA Awardees:
Roman Hughes just graduated with an M.A. in English studies. He previously completed a bachelor’s degree at Ball State in English with a concentration in creative writing in 2024. He has taken every opportunity to grow as a teacher throughout both degrees, including teaching first-year English courses for the Department of English for the past couple of years. Roman will be teaching English at a university in Poland!
Roman visited Poland very briefly in high school and is thrilled to return. He says, “Poland is a country with such rich history and culture, so I can’t wait to explore what each unique region has to offer. I am particularly excited to see all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Poland, including Malbork Castle, which is the largest castle in the world.”
This reward is gratifying, especially since Roman previously applied for a Fulbright ETA and even made it to the semifinalist stage. He explains, “To receive the Fulbright award is such an honor and truly years in the making. It’s a reassurance that all the hard things were worth it and that people who don’t even know me see my potential, which feels amazing.”
After the Fulbright, Roman intends to pursue a PhD and then a career in academia.
Trey Michael Mathews is an Honors student who graduated in May with a major in Spanish. Trey studied abroad in Chile with the help of a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. There, he was an assistant in an English language course. He decided that he wanted to return to Latin America to continue to teach English and learn a new dialect of Spanish. Trey was selected for the Fulbright to teach English in Honduras.
He explains his interest in Honduras: “I desire to explore more of Latin America to grow in my proficiency with Spanish and understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. This program in Honduras specifically appeals to me because the first Spanish class that I had in college was with a Honduran professor, Nidia Flis, who is from San Pedro Sula. I related to her when she talked about the tight-knit connections that Hondurans have with their family and community, as I, too, value familial ties and participation within my community.”
Jack Tagle graduated in May with a major in English. Jack will be teaching English in Thailand! In addition to teaching, Jack also hopes to contribute to afterschool activities and intern at an educational facility.
Jack says, “I am most excited about the everyday, transformative moments in the
classroom as learners and I grow together–experiencing sparks of realization and
recognizing connections across our seemingly different lives. As teaching is a collaborative space, I look forward to learning directly from the various perspectives of my students. The most exciting opportunity I look forward to as a teacher, however, is watching my learners grow–having those “ah-hah!” moments and seeing a world beyond their own.”
This award means a lot to Jack. Jack explains: “Becoming a Fulbright finalist has been a miracle, and to me, a miracle is another name for hard effort. This award is a testament to the faith my communities instilled in me as a future educator who empowers others navigating multicultural spaces.”
Jack was also waitlisted for the Princeton in Asia Fellowship earlier this year.
Kade Wereley-Bross is a May 2025 graduate with a major in theatre and minors in technical theater and German. They were a member of the Honors College. Kade has been named a recipient for the ETA in Germany.
Kade reflects on receiving the Fulbright: “An ETA award is very encouraging because I never thought I could teach English to anyone, as I have always struggled with it. It proves to me that all the hard work that I have put in for the last few years has had an impact on me and my skills.”
Kade is excited to immerse themselves in German culture, explaining, ”I am looking forward to learning about traditional German cooking and baking and continuing my hunt for a springerle cookie cutter, a traditional German cookie.”
Fulbright Study Awardee:
Em Allen is an Honors College graduate with a major in English and concentration in literature. She also is minoring in economics and women and gender studies. She was selected as a recipient of a Fulbright to pursue a master’s degree in English literature at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. There, she will compare the expression of experiences during the Troubles in Irish Sign Language (ISL), British Sign Language (BSL), and literary works. She is interested in how storytelling can circumvent surveillance and describe trauma.
Em says, “I am most excited about the opportunity to work with the faculty and with the Deaf community in Northern Ireland. I am excited to improve my own Irish and British sign language skills through immersion!”
Speaking about what this award means to her, Em continues, “This award has shown me the value of staying determined and continuing to be passionate about literature! The application process has also shown me that new and innovative approaches to literature and language are still extremely important in academia.
After the Fulbright, Em intends to pursue a PhD and then a career as a professor of literature.
Introduced in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was designed to aid in the mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and citizens of other countries, to promote world peace through education and understanding. Each year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program funds are awarded in one of two categories: teaching award to fund students to teach English abroad and study/research/creative awards to fund students pursuing research or creative interests or degrees at international universities. U.S. Student Fulbrighters go abroad for 10-12 months for a variety of fully-funded experiences.
May 2026: ONCS is excited to announce that Gem Sambugaro has been named a 2026 Udall Scholar. The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is the nation’s premier scholarship for students going into careers focused on environmentalism, Tribal public policy, or Native American health care. Gem is one of only 65 Udall Scholars selected this year. As a Udall Scholar, Gem has been awarded a $7,500 scholarship and will attend a multi-day Scholar Orientation in August with other Udall Scholars from across the country.
Gem is eager to learn from other Udall Scholars during the orientation event. Gem says, “I would love to hear how others are initiating productive change for their community, and discover ways I can bring those lessons to Ball State University.”
Gem is a third-year Honors College student who is majoring in biology and pre-veterinary preparations and has minors in Spanish and scuba. After graduating from Ball State, Gem intends to attend veterinary school. Gem’s long-term goal is to work as a veterinarian at a wildlife rehabilitation and education center, treating and re-releasing injured animals essential to healthy ecosystems and providing conservation education to the public.
Gem has already built an impressive record in animal care and conservation education. She interned at a wildlife rehabilitation center in the summer of 2024, learning about wildlife animal husbandry and how to engage the public with environmental initiatives. In the summer of 2025, Gem interned for the Fort Wayne Zoo, where she developed Spanish-language materials to ensure all zoo visitors have access to educational messages about animals and the environment. Gem has also assisted and shadowed in veterinary clinics and cared for animals in Ball State labs and at the Ball State Greenhouse. Gem works to engage their peers with nature as event committee lead for The Wildlife Society on campus and serves as the vice president for the Pre-Veterinary and Animal Welfare Club. Finally, Gem contributes to research in two labs on campus: the Salamander Genetics Lab and the Animal Behavior Lab.
Gem’s excellence was recognized earlier this year within the Ball State community when they were named a Top 100 Student.
This is the second year in a row that Ball State has had a Udall Scholar!
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is a competitive award established by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation to honor the legacy of the Udall brothers. Nominees must show dedication to conservation, Native policy, or healthcare through academic and extracurricular achievements.
May 2026: We congratulate Ahmaud Carroll-Tubbs on having been named a finalist for the Olmstead Scholars Program! Ahmaud is a May 2026 graduate with a major in landscape architecture and internship experiences and course work in historic preservation. The Olmsted Scholars Program is sponsored by the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) and honors landscape architecture students demonstrating high leadership potential in sustainable design. Every accredited landscape architecture program in the country may nominate one undergraduate and one graduate student for Olmsted honors. In 2026, LAF selected one undergraduate and one graduate Olmsted Scholar and three undergraduate and three graduate finalists. Honorees are recognized as rising landscape architecture leaders and gain exclusive access to mentors, industry networking, and ongoing engagement with the LAF community.
Ahmaud says, “I am most excited about all of the networking opportunities that will come as a result of this achievement. As someone who is passionate about learning, I’m looking forward to connecting with professionals who may have experience in doing the work I hope to do as a future landscape architect.”
April 2026: MK McLoughlin a music teaching major who will graduate in a few weeks, was recently awarded a spot in the competitive Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. MK worked with ONCS to craft her application in the fall and was interviewed earlier this semester. She will leave for Japan in July!
Along with studies in music and education, MK took courses in Japanese throughout her time at Ball State. She became passionate about Japanese culture and decided to pursue English teaching in Japan to both immerse herself in a culture she loves and challenge herself to become a better teacher.
MK says, “This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me because it reflects my passion for education and cross-cultural exchange. I am deeply committed to teaching and learning from the diverse experiences of students, and I’m excited to grow both personally and professionally through this opportunity. I look forward to finding new and exciting ways to incorporate culture and music into language learning, ultimately making my students’ experience meaningful and exciting as they explore English. I also can’t wait to discover how this experience shifts my pedagogical views and expands my teaching toolbox for my career!”
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program is an international exchange initiative managed by the Japanese government that invites college graduates from over 50 countries to live and work in Japan. It was established in 1987 to promote internationalization and language education at the grassroots level. Participants serve as cultural ambassadors and foreign language assistants, primarily in rural or suburban areas across Japan.
April 2026: Congratulations to the following five BSU students who were recently accepted to the prestigious Roots of American Order Summer Seminar, a fully funded program hosted by the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, Malibu. These students will be reading founding documents, participating in a series of discussion-based participant colloquy sessions, and attending additional plenary lectures. The program also includes an excursion to the Reagan Library.
Lisette Ariza is a political science and sociology major with a Spanish minor. She’s also in the Honors College. She is currently a senator in the Student Government Association and will serve as the organization’s chief administrator next year.
She says of her Pepperdine seminar acceptance, “This award feels like a stepping stone toward the path I want to create for people like me, especially first-generation students and those from immigrant communities. It reminds me that I’m not only working toward my own goals, but also opening doors for others to follow.”
Spencer Daugherty is a history and journalism major with a concentration in sports writing and multimedia storytelling and a minor in civic studies. He is fascinated by the ways that sporting culture and democracy have developed together over time. He will be attending a winter study abroad in Greece several months after the conclusion of the Pepperdine program. He hopes that, together, these two programs will help him learn about the foundations of democracy in Greece and the continuation of democratic values in our American founding documents and history.
AJ Dowling is a social studies teaching major and deeply dedicated to advancing democracy and civil rights through education at the high school level. He is interested in learning more about the intersections between politics and education.
AJ says, “Being accepted to this seminar feels amazing. Not only is it proof that my hard work paid off, but it is proof that preservice teachers’ voices matter.”
Casen Lake is an Honors College student and a political science major with a concentration in global politics and international affairs and a minor in economics. He is currently serving as parliamentarian for the Student Government Association and will step in the role of treasurer for SGA next year.
Casen tells us, “I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about the foundations of our country, engage in interesting conversations with other students from across the nation, and learn to better appreciate and understand the philosophical and moral foundations of America’s political tradition during its 250th Anniversary.”
Abby Lindburgh is a Spanish teaching major and an Honors College student. Abby grew up in the Ball State area.
She says she is excited to “expands my knowledge on public policy founding in America and . . . explore a new state in the U.S.!”
The Pepperdine Roots of American Order Summer Seminar was promoted at Ball State University through the Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL) on campus. Lisette, Spencer, and Abby worked closely with Dr. David Roof, who directs the CECL, to develop their applications.
March 2026: ONCS is proud to announce that Abby Shaw, a Master of Landscape Architecture student, was selected for the 2025-26 Sigma Lambda Alpha Honor Society Graduate Scholarship. Sigma Lambda Alpha is a national organization that promotes leadership and scholarship in landscape architecture. This $2000 award honors landscape architecture students who are outstanding in scholarship and leadership achievement.
Abby says, “I am very grateful to be supported by SLA. Their recognition is a moral support boost as I keep working hard on my MLA degree and prepare for graduation in May!”
March 2026: Good news! ONCS was recently informed that Lily Haley, a chemistry major with minors in biology and American Sign Language, was offered a prestigious summer research internship through the DAAD RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) program. Lily will be working in a lab this summer at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld, Germany, and her travel and living expenses will be fully covered by the award.
Since she was a child wondering about why the different colors of Froot Loops taste the way they do, Lily has dreamed of a career in flavor research. She has conducted research on flavor compounds in Dr. David Bwambok’s chemistry lab on campus for three semesters, and she completed the Chemistry Research Immersion Summer Program (CRISP) last summer. She will be researching how basidiomycetes can be used to improve the sustainability of food production in the Krefeld lab.
Lily says, “Receiving this award has helped to boost my confidence as a researcher, which has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
A second student, Simon Klinger, a chemistry and pre-medical preparations major and math minor, also did well in the DAAD RISE competition. Simon is currently waitlisted for a summer lab position.
Both Lily and Simon are Honors College students.
The DAAD RISE program offers summer research internships in Germany. It aims to provide North American, British, and Irish students in the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, earth sciences, and engineering with opportunities to gain practical research experience. Students are matched with a host university or institute according to their area of interest (biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, or a closely related field).
February 2026: Congratulations to the following seven BSU students and alumni who’ve made it to the semifinalist round for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program! Final decisions about recipients will be made by host country committees and announced later this semester.
We have four semifinalists for the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program. If selected, these students and alumni would help teach English and U.S. culture to students in the host countries listed below and also carry out self-designed cultural immersion activities.
Roman Hughes (Poland) – M.A. student in English studies who also completed a bachelor’s degree at Ball State in English studies and creative writing.
Trey Mathews (Honduras) – senior Honors College student with a major in Spanish teaching and a minor in history.
Jack Vaught (Thailand) – senior English teaching major.
Kade Wereley-Bross (Germany) – May 2025 graduate with a major in theatre creation and minors in technical theatre and German. Kade was also a member of the Honors College.
We also have three semi-finalists for Study Awards. These students would enter master’s programs in the host countries listed below.
Em Allen (Ulster University, UK) – senior Honors College English literature major with minors in economics and women’s and gender studies.
Kathryn Rockwood (University of Kent, UK) – Senior Honors College interior design major and theatre minor.
Elijah Sturges (Greek State University, Greece) – senior Honors College religious studies and history major with a minor in classics.
Introduced in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was designed to aid in the mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and citizens of other countries, to promote world peace through education and understanding. Each year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program funds are awarded in one of two categories: teaching award to fund students to teach English abroad and study/research/creative awards to fund students pursuing research or creative interests or degrees at international universities. U.S. Student Fulbrighters go abroad for 10-12 months for a variety of fully-funded experiences.
January 2026: The Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships (ONCS) is thrilled to announce that Jack Tagle has been named a quarterfinalist for the Princeton in Asia Fellowship! The Princeton in Asia (PiA) program offers year-long, immersive work fellowships for recent graduates in various professional fields across Asia, aiming to build cultural understanding and person-to-person diplomacy through service in areas like education, public health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. It’s a competitive, non-profit program providing paid placements, stipends, and support, focusing on transformative cross-cultural experiences rather than short-term internships. Jack will be interviewed in mid-January. This initial interview will focus on Jack’s general fit for the PiA program. If selected for the next stage of the process, Jack will then interview again, this time for particular positions within the program – likely in the area of English education.
Jack credits their support system with helping them to reach this point: “Becoming a quarterfinalist for a Princeton in Asia Fellowship brings me one step closer to my goal as a future educator who fosters cross-cultural understanding, empathizes with, and empowers others navigating multicultural spaces. To me, this fellowship is also a testament to the collective faith, rigor, and care of both myself and my supportive communities, reaffirming that this journey toward something greater than myself is never one I walk alone.” Jack is the first student to work with ONCS on an application for this prestigious award.
January 2026: Six BSU undergraduates—Calvin Arancibia, Alex Carroll, Hailey Deckard, Quinn Haynes, Laney Nall, and Alee Quirk—have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for study abroad in the coming months!
The Gilman Scholarship helps to fill financial gaps for undergraduates who are studying abroad. Upon their return to the U.S., recipients are required to carry out a follow-on service project that helps promote international education and understanding.
Calvin Arancibia will study as an exchange student at Sapporo University in Japan from May to August in the coming summer. An English teaching and Japanese double major also pursuing a certificate in TESOL, Calvin feels that this study abroad will help him to gain proficiency in Japanese: “I am most excited to be fully immersed in Japanese culture and language. Since immersion is one of the most effective ways to learn a language, I cannot wait to take full advantage of this opportunity!” Learning the language in Japan will undoubtedly help him to reach his goal of one day teaching English in Japan.
As president of Alpha Mu Gamma, the National Foreign Language Honor Society at Ball State, Calvin plans to organize and host a Scholarship Night through this organization upon his return to campus next fall. This event will share information with interested students about the Gilman Scholarship, as well as other scholarships for study abroad that the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships also promotes. Calvin will also share his experiences abroad with fellow members of the Japanese Conversation Club.
Alex Carroll will travel through a Ball State University faculty-led program to Greece and Turkey in May of 2026. The program will focus on architecture and is entitled Myth and Magic in the Ancient World. Alex has a major in architecture and career interests in adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and sustainable design. She hopes to learn more about “how ancient builders responded to climate, materials, and community needs.” She feels that this experience will enhance her portfolio as well as her ability to think about architecture from a global perspective.
For her follow-on service project, Alex intends to share her experiences abroad with students in her small-town high school at an upcoming Career Day. She will talk to attendees about the transferable skills that she will have gained through study abroad to inspire them to pursue study abroad that will benefit their future careers.
Hailey Deckard will travel to Ireland through a Ball State University faculty-led program in May 2026. The program will focus on international sport business and sport careers in Ireland. Hailey has a major in exercise science and plans to attend graduate school to become a physical therapist. She explains her desire to study abroad with this program: ”Being able to observe health professionals in another country approach exercise science will help me broaden my perspective and show me strategies that I can bring back to graduate school and to my future practice.”
Hailey is a Resident Assistant on campus and plans to share her experiences in Ireland with students in her hall next year. She will table at Woodworth Complex, sharing photos, infographics, and stories with residents who stop by. She wants to show other students that study abroad is possible, even when finances are a concern.
Quinn Haynes, a media major with a minor in film screenwriting, is studying through USAC at Massey University in New Zealand during the Spring 2026 semester. He intends to take media production courses and complete an internship in his field. He will also visit with old family friends, as he spent some of his childhood in New Zealand. He says, “This award not only relieves some of the financial burden as I prepare, but also helps me focus more on my classes, excursions, and connections overseas.” He looks forward to visiting Aviva Stadium and Croke Park.
For his follow-on service project, Quinn will develop a video series providing a window into his experiences in New Zealand, as well as information about and tips for studying abroad. He will share this media with other media majors during an interactive presentation designed to encourage them to understand the transformative power of study abroad.
Laney Nall, an Honors College student, will travel with a faculty-led program to Italy during Spring Break 2026. The program will focus on art history. Laney has a major in visual arts and animation and a minor in computer science. They feel that experiencing art history in Italy will positively influence their career in animation: “While some might say that an animation major doesn’t need an art history background, the reality is that a deep understanding of any art starts with art history; in Italy, I will encounter some of its earliest roots.”
For their follow-on service project, Laney intends to give a presentation about their study abroad experiences to other animation majors. They will share their experiences abroad by designing and displaying a concept pitch, character model, and greybox based on their experiences in Italy. They hope to inspire others in their major to pursue study abroad, especially for the purpose of visiting and learning about art history.
Alee Quirk will be traveling through a Ball State University faculty-led program to Greece and Turkey in May 2026. The program will focus on architecture and is entitled Myth and Magic in the Ancient World. Alee is an Honors College student and has a major in architecture and a minor in sustainability. She feels that this program will support her career goal: “This study abroad program will help me to achieve my goal of becoming an architect capable of implementing sustainable design and addressing pressing social issues. It will allow me to learn from to tour guides, museum curators, and my professors about how Greece is approaching these issues, which will, ultimately support my aims as a future professional in architecture.”
When she returns to the US, Alee will present her experiences abroad to members of Scholarhouse, an organization that supports single parents, like Alee, who are pursuing higher education. She will share a video as well as sketches that she makes when abroad. She will also lead a hands-on sketching workshop. She wants to provide participants with a taste of the architecture she will visit in Greece and Turkey, to encourage them to pursue their own study abroad experiences.
The federally-funded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides up to $5,000* to U.S. undergraduate students pursuing academic studies abroad, to better prepare them to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. (*Additional support is available to selected students who will study Critical Need Languages or conduct STEM research while abroad.)
September 2025: Congratulations to Izzy Collins, who was recently notified that she was selected for the National Weather Association Foundation Roderick A. Scofield Meteorology Scholarship. The Scofield Scholarship offers only one $1000 monetary award each year to support an exceptional student pursuing a career in meteorology. Izzy graduated with a major in meteorology and minors in mathematics and GIS in May 2025 and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Plymouth State University.