Student lands prized Boren scholarship

Tim practices his calligraphy skills at the annual Asian Fusion fair held in March

Tim along with fellow Fusian member Teresa Kim are MCs for this year's festival

Thanks to a $10,000 Boren Undergraduate Scholarship, Tim Lu is preparing to take the ultimate plunge: language immersion. Lu will spend the fall semester of his junior year at the Beijing Institute of Education, speaking only Mandarin and living with a Chinese roommate.

Lu, a management and organizations major from Kettering, Ohio, is a member of the Farmer School’s China Business Program. The program, which enhances a student’s business major, includes instruction in Mandarin, study of Chinese history and culture, and the opportunity to study in China for at least a semester. The Boren Scholarship will pay for Lu’s international experience.

After taking two years of basic Mandarin, Lu is eager to improve his skills through an immersion experience. “I have loved my classes here on campus, but realized how much more I would learn if I were actually in China,” he said.

In addition to the obvious career benefits of being fluent in an important language, Lu has personal reasons for learning Chinese. His paternal grandfather was born in the southern Chinese city of Xiamen, although he immigrated to the Philippines, where Lu’s father was born and raised.

“My dad then immigrated to the United States,” Lu explained. “I chose to study Mandarin partly because I wanted to explore more of my grandfather’s heritage. I wanted to become fluent because then I could speak with my dad, and even my distant relatives, in Chinese.”

Lu will leave for China in July, and will spend several weeks with a friend in southern China before starting school in Beijing.

“I am excited about spending a home stay with my friend, who lives in Zunyi (Guizhou province),” he said. “We were in the same decision sciences class this past semester and have since become very good friends. Since her family does not speak any English, it will be both challenging and exciting for me as I find ways to express my gratitude to them in Mandarin.

“I hope to volunteer with her at a nearby elementary or high school to teach English. This will allow me to interact with the younger community and also make a positive impact while I'm abroad. If we can make this commitment a reality, I'm hoping to learn how to think and communicate more like a Chinese person, so that I may be better prepared for my academic study in Beijing.”

The Boren Scholarships for study abroad are offered by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), and they support language study in countries deemed critical to U.S. national security. After graduation, Lu will be required to work for the federal government for at least a year, in a position with national security responsibilities. Lu applied after hearing about the program from a friend, who studied in Beijing on a Boren Scholarship two years ago.

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