MSU student honored with Rotary scholarship

           After months of waiting, Juliana Lehman was notified last week that she will be studying at the University of Nantes in France next fall for free. 

            As a graduate student majoring in English and minoring in French, she was encouraged to apply for the Rotary scholarship by her French professor. The application, 20 pages long, took almost eight months to complete. It included two essays, one written in English and one in French explaining what she plans to do with this experience. She also had to write an essay about her personal background.

The rules are explicit. An applicant has to research where Rotary scholarships are accepted but cannot apply to more than two cities in the same country. After narrowing down the options to five universities, the applicant must explain why each was chosen. Plus, the applicant must be fluent in the language of that country.

Since Lehman wants to pursue International Law, this is a perfect way to learn how other cultures work.

"This will allow me to form a perspective on our country and France and how they see each other," said Lehman.  "While I'm there, I will also be an ambassador for the Rotary making about a dozen presentations throughout the year - all in French."

The $23,000 grant will pay for schooling and living arrangements. She will be assigned to a host family who can help in finding an apartment and in initially getting settled.

Only two scholarships were available this year in District 2 whose area reaches from Wichita Falls to Dallas.