http://www.wvwc.edu/news/Bruhns2015
In October, Taylor submitted an essay that earned her a chance to interview to be chosen as the recipient of a Bruhn's Study Abroad scholarship. After vigorous preparation, facing the interviewing panel, and months of eager anticipation, she was selected to be a Bruhn's Scholar.
Though the scholarship is generous, the study abroad trip is costly- about double the amount of her award.
We humbly ask, if you can and are willing, for any kind of small monetary donation, prayers, good vibes, words of wisdom, traveling tips or good old fashioned love and well wishes. We thank each and every one of you for the support.
The following is Taylor's application essay. Enjoy.
In the third grade, my art teacher asked the class to draw a portrait of their role model. Among the renderings of Abraham Lincoln and Brittany Spears sat my portrait of my uncle Louie. My uncle (whom the family is convinced is a spy) gave me a hand stitched map of Africa, the primary location of his work, for Christmas that year. At a young age, I understood that my uncle worked in healthcare, but I did not realize the magnitude of his work. He worked with the Clinton Foundation to improve the capacity of the Tanzanian government to treat pediatric HIV and AIDs, and to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV and AIDs.
I became frustrated when I realized that my uncle spent most of his time in an office wearing a tie and shaking hands with important men. I was not sure where I saw myself as an adult, but I knew it was not as someone with a closet full of respectable grey suits. As I grew older, I realized that my personal talent lay in critical writing. I read historical fiction such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun that shed light on issues faced by people I shared no connection with in countries most Americans know little about. Something about these novels made me sincerely care about the plight of people marginalized by revolutions and missions. I gradually realized that I could use my creative talent to induce the same phenomenon in other people. By following a personal narrative of fictional people who experienced similar situations, I can expose the trials that actual people encounter. A novel that allows one to experience loss alongside those affected by tragedy is even more powerful than most documentaries. This method of delivery hits immensely harder than the average history textbook on the market. Enabling readers to relate to the challenges of others in one of the best hopes the world has of accomplishing anything substantial in humanitarianism.
Right now, Africa, and Tanzania in particular, provide interest because I must frequently answer the question, “What do you want to do with your degree?” The opportunity to travel to an area that fascinates me since a young age may lead to an answer. My hope is that my experience in Tanzania provides me with concrete first hand material for a novel in which I expose the struggle in combating pediatric HIV and AIDS. I anticipate earning a BFA in English Literature, with minors in Honors, Philosophy, and Psychology. This rounded academic profile, coupled with my intention to pursue a graduate degree in African studies, should equip me to reach my goals. This study abroad opportunity will impact my future academic and professional goals because it will make them tangible. I hope to create a body of work that inspires people of the world to seriously contemplate the meaning of community, government, and basic human rights.
In October, Taylor submitted an essay that earned her a chance to interview to be chosen as the recipient of a Bruhn's Study Abroad scholarship. After vigorous preparation, facing the interviewing panel, and months of eager anticipation, she was selected to be a Bruhn's Scholar.
Though the scholarship is generous, the study abroad trip is costly- about double the amount of her award.
We humbly ask, if you can and are willing, for any kind of small monetary donation, prayers, good vibes, words of wisdom, traveling tips or good old fashioned love and well wishes. We thank each and every one of you for the support.
The following is Taylor's application essay. Enjoy.
In the third grade, my art teacher asked the class to draw a portrait of their role model. Among the renderings of Abraham Lincoln and Brittany Spears sat my portrait of my uncle Louie. My uncle (whom the family is convinced is a spy) gave me a hand stitched map of Africa, the primary location of his work, for Christmas that year. At a young age, I understood that my uncle worked in healthcare, but I did not realize the magnitude of his work. He worked with the Clinton Foundation to improve the capacity of the Tanzanian government to treat pediatric HIV and AIDs, and to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV and AIDs.
I became frustrated when I realized that my uncle spent most of his time in an office wearing a tie and shaking hands with important men. I was not sure where I saw myself as an adult, but I knew it was not as someone with a closet full of respectable grey suits. As I grew older, I realized that my personal talent lay in critical writing. I read historical fiction such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun that shed light on issues faced by people I shared no connection with in countries most Americans know little about. Something about these novels made me sincerely care about the plight of people marginalized by revolutions and missions. I gradually realized that I could use my creative talent to induce the same phenomenon in other people. By following a personal narrative of fictional people who experienced similar situations, I can expose the trials that actual people encounter. A novel that allows one to experience loss alongside those affected by tragedy is even more powerful than most documentaries. This method of delivery hits immensely harder than the average history textbook on the market. Enabling readers to relate to the challenges of others in one of the best hopes the world has of accomplishing anything substantial in humanitarianism.
Right now, Africa, and Tanzania in particular, provide interest because I must frequently answer the question, “What do you want to do with your degree?” The opportunity to travel to an area that fascinates me since a young age may lead to an answer. My hope is that my experience in Tanzania provides me with concrete first hand material for a novel in which I expose the struggle in combating pediatric HIV and AIDS. I anticipate earning a BFA in English Literature, with minors in Honors, Philosophy, and Psychology. This rounded academic profile, coupled with my intention to pursue a graduate degree in African studies, should equip me to reach my goals. This study abroad opportunity will impact my future academic and professional goals because it will make them tangible. I hope to create a body of work that inspires people of the world to seriously contemplate the meaning of community, government, and basic human rights.