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.”