UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nije’e Patton-Johns, a third-year Chaiken Scholar majoring in psychology and double minoring in Korean language and human development and family studies, is one of six Penn State students to have earned Gilman Scholarships, which provides up to $5,000 for undergraduates to study abroad.

The Sewell, New Jersey, native explained how important this scholarship was to her and the dedication she put into receiving it. Patton-Johns learned about the scholarship through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) study abroad program.

“I did research about it and didn’t want to apply at first because I thought it was too prestigious for me. The essay process was difficult because I was trying to perfect them on top of all my other work,” Patton-Johns said.

Patton-Johns ended up going to the Writing Center at Penn State Learning to work with a tutor. More memorable to her than the application process itself is the unique experience of finding out she was a recipient, she said.

“I was having a long day, so I went to McDonald’s for a pick-me-up,” she said. “On the bus ride back home, I got an email from the Gilman Scholarship Program. It said I received the scholarship. I was freaking out on the bus because I was so proud of myself.”

With this scholarship, Patton-Johns traveled to South Korea to study abroad at the end of February. While abroad, she said, she plans to continue taking psychology classes and practicing the Korean language. She hopes to eventually become fluent.

She is most excited to experience Korean culture while abroad, she said. From learning the cultural values, customs and even the food scene, she is thrilled to have the chance to study abroad and expand her knowledge.

“I always knew I wanted to study abroad,” Patton-Johns said. “I’m really interested in taking some Korean art history courses, and I’ve had my eye on a few psychology and intensive Korean courses.”

Patton-Johns has been teaching herself Korean since she was 12 years old, she said. Through online videos and small vocabulary courses, she was able to read and speak small sentences.

“My mom worked at a nail shop in Philadelphia that was owned by two Korean women, so I was constantly surrounded by the K-dramas on the TVs,” Patton-Johns said. “I loved the culture and was always fascinated with it. I eventually got into K-pop and would watch Korean TV shows to help me practice.”

She said this is why she fell in love with the language and decided to begin taking classes in college.

After graduation, Patton-Johns hopes to build on what she’s learned in her major and potentially become a psychologist. Her courses, including PSYCH 105: Psychology as a Science and Profession, have helped her explore career paths related to scientific psychology and allowed her to discover how much she can do with her psychology degree.

Patton-Johns said she credits much of her success to the College of the Liberal Arts and its “tremendous staff.” She said the people and programs within the college have allowed her to accomplish her dreams of studying abroad.

Patton-Johns was selected as a Chaiken Scholar in the College of the Liberal Arts based on her academic achievements in high school. As a Chaiken Scholar, she receives financial support and access to special resources and programming for the Chaiken Scholar community. Chaiken Scholars also have the opportunity to participate in the First-Year Chaiken Scholars Learning Community course, which is taught by Patty Klug, director of the Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success.

“Patty Klug has been really great about sharing the many opportunities available to Chaiken Scholars. I was able to attend receptions for the scholars and even went to the president of Penn State’s house and was able to speak with then President [Eric] Barron,” Patton-Johns said. “The college has so many resources and was so powerful in helping me succeed. I had no idea there were so many resources and so much funding available for students who want to study abroad, and I haven’t had to pay much out of pocket to travel thanks to the college.”