Two BYU–Hawaii students recently returned from Xi’an, China, studying Mandarin and Chinese culture after receiving help from the Asian Executive Management program. One of them earned a prestigious designation as a Boren Scholar. Jarek and Kaylee Buss spent a year in China and are now back at BYU–Hawaii to finish their degrees. That experience was made possible because Jarek received a Boren Scholarship and both of them were enrolled in the Asian Executive Management program.
The Boren Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship offered to undergraduate students to study abroad to learn a language that is deemed critical to national security. The scholarship provides up to $20,000 to each student, funded by the National Security Education Program. In return for this scholarship, Boren Scholars agree to work in the federal government for a year after graduation. Jarek is currently studying political science at BYU–Hawaii, making this agreement is a perfect fit with his post-graduation plans.
The Asian Executive Management program is an exchange program established between BYU–Hawaii and universities in China where students from BYU–Hawaii can go to China to study, and Chinese students come to study at BYU–Hawaii. The Busses studied at North West University in Xi’an, a city in the middle of China, very close to the location of the world-famous Terra Cotta Warriors. During the week, they had twenty hours of classes that focused on Mandarin speaking, reading, writing, and listening. These classes were concentrated in the mornings, while afternoons were reserved for cultural immersion and exploration that supported language and culture development.
In addition to the educational and experiential components, the Busses kept a missionary mindset while they were abroad. Although they could not talk about the Church with any Chinese nationals, they could share the gospel with those who held foreign passports. Xi’an is one of the six cities in China that have official branches. The Church was a great support system for Busses while they were away from home, and they were able to share their experiences with people from more than fifteen countries.
Jarek and Kaylee encourage others who are interested in learning languages abroad to apply for the exchange program and the scholarship. “Just apply,” says Kaylee. “Your level of Chinese understanding doesn’t matter. The schools are willing to work with students from all levels. You will learn a lot about yourself and other cultures.” Jarek’s insights on the experience echo hers: “The opportunity to go abroad is brilliant. The things you learn cannot be quantified. Your eyes are open because there are so many things that you see and learn.”
For more information about the Boren Scholarship, contact Dr. Brian Houghton or visit http://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarship.
