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CSULA News Press Release (Link Below)

Gilman Program offers boost for

CSULA students’ global studies

Both Jones, Yu also receive CSU Wang Family Scholarships

2010 Gilman Scholarship recipients at Cal State L.A.:
(l-r) Sam Yu, Jazmine Jones, Amabel Robles and Tyren Thompson.

Los Angeles, CA -- Cal State L.A. students Jazmine Jones, Amabel Robles and Tyren Thompson are each awarded a $5,000 Gilman Scholarship to further their studies in China, Spain, and South Korea, respectively, for one full academic year. Another CSULA student, Sam Yu, receives a $4,000 Gilman Scholarship to study in Taiwan.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program aims to better prepare students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. The Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad.

Communications major Jazmine Jones (Los Angeles resident) will be studying at Peking University in Beijing, China, starting August 27. She will be taking Mandarin courses to fulfill her minor in Chinese. Jones, who hopes to pursue a career in international relations, said, “I am a Chinese minor, so I know that the best way to become entirely immersed in the language would be to live and study in a place that spoke it.” She is also a recipient of a $4,000 CSU Wang Family Scholarship.


As for Spanish major Amabel Robles (Bell Gardens resident), she will be traveling to Spain to study at Universidad Complutense de Madrid starting August 23. Robles indicated that she will be taking courses in Spanish American Literature; Women in Hispanic Literature; Poetry, Narrative and Theatre; Cervantes and Don Quixote; Theater of the Golden Age; and Contemporary Spanish Cinema. She said, “It is imperative for me to learn more about my culture and roots, and I believe studying in Spain will be a life-changing experience that will enhance my education in both academic and personal levels.”


On August 16, business major Tyren Thompson (Westchester resident) will begin studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. He plans to take courses in his major alongside Korean language and history classes. He is interested in learning American history from Korean scholars’ perspectives, as well as Korean history, specifically the conflict between North and South Korea. Thompson said, “By incorporating what I will learn abroad and what I have learned in the United States, I will have a competitive edge in the professional and academic realm.”


Traveling to Taipei, Taiwan, on September 14, finance major Sam Yu (Los Angeles resident) will be studying at National Taiwan University. Yu said, “To successfully practice international business in Asia, I realized it would be essential that I master Chinese Mandarin and understand the subtleties of the culture. Not only will this program…immerse me in a world where I will develop my linguistic skills, I will have a chance to establish professional networks with accomplished peers and alumni, clearly an invaluable asset in my career.” He is also a recipient of a $4,000 CSU Wang Family Scholarship.


The congressionally-funded Gilman Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education-Southern Regional Center in Houston, Texas.


The CSU Wang Family Scholarship Program seeks to provide students with an opportunity to learn in an international environment and another culture. The scholarship provides an opportunity for students to prepare for a role in a rapidly changing international and interdependent world.


Students interested in studying abroad should contact Cal State L.A.’s International Programs and Services at (323) 343-3170 and visit its webpage at www.calstatela.edu/ips/.

CSULA News

1...2...3...5?

tetraphobia- Irrational fear, hate, or dislike of the number four (4) commonly seen in East Asian countries in which "4" and "death" are homophonous (via allwords.com)

Hotel Sky Incheon

Something Cool I Accidently Learned How to Do

While trying to make sure I wasn't late for course registration the other day, I found out a way to add another clock on Windows. Here's a tutorial I made for you.

In the end you should be able to view both clocks when you mouse over the clock in the bottom right corner of the screen or when you click there (see below).

Now you'll know when and when not to call home.

Independence Day

Hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. I watched the Redlands University fireworks show this year, here's some of the better shots that I took.

Visa

The final process before I leave is getting a Visa. If you don't know, a Visa is essentially permission to enter another country. Without a Visa your passport is worthless, if you're planning an extended stay. For instance, South Korea requires a Visa if you plan on staying more than 90 days.

I went to apply for mine yesterday at the Korean Consulate here in L.A. (Wilshire and Vermont) , they made the process very effortless. There was no line and I was in and out in less than 5 minutes.


From the information I was given I anticipated a grueling process that took several weeks to complete. I came in with bank statements, financial aid awards, a birth certificate, THE WORKS; I didn't want to have to go home and come back for any reason. I filled out the application and took all my materials to window 2. The woman behind the glass only took one passport photo, my passport, the application, and Yonsei's certificate of admission. It cost 45USD and I can pick it up today at 11 a.m.

Email

It's amazing how quickly email has become such a prominant means of communication for me in the post-high school, professional world.

I recieved two much anticiapated emails this week: One Monday and the other about an hour ago.

The first from the Gilman International Scholarship Program and the other from Yonsei University.

Yonsei's email was to confirm my acceptance (there is a seperate application process from the CSU) and to let me know that I will recieve my admissions packet, which includes materials I will need to get my visa.

The other email said:

Congratulations! On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education
(IIE), I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a recipient of
the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.