First Penn State Behrend Student Receives Gilman Scholarship, Prepares for Yearlong Studies in China
Confucius once said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” It is by this philosophy that Michael Long, a sophomore at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is living. He will “do” by spending the upcoming year studying abroad in Beijing, China as Penn State Behrend’s first recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Long is a political science major in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and a graduate of North East High School. He earned the scholarship from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the Institute of International Education.
“I would not have been able to partake in an international program without this scholarship,” Long said. “I don’t come from a family of privilege and didn’t have access to the same opportunities others did. Knowing that there is help out there gives me faith in the education system.”
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. It provides scholarship awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding at a two- or four-year college or university to participate in study-abroad programs worldwide.
“After only one year at Penn State Behrend, Michael proved himself enough to be granted this prestigious scholarship,” said Ruth Pflueger, director of the college’s Learning Resource Center. “Not only has he worked diligently to succeed academically, but also to afford his college tuition. Michael will benefit greatly from this international experience and I’m confident he will demonstrate himself worthy of this opportunity.”
Long, who has already completed two intensive Chinese language courses this summer at Penn State University Park, is enrolled in the Institute for the International Education of Students Beijing Intensive Language Program. This program offers students who have started Chinese language studies the opportunity to rapidly expand their knowledge of spoken and written Mandarin Chinese.
Students round out their schedule with a selection of area studies courses taught in English. Additionally, they travel to remote locations in China to participate in for-credit internship opportunities.
“I hope to educate myself in ways I never could in the United States,” Long said. “I cannot even begin to guess what I will be learning abroad, but I will be soaking up the knowledge like a sponge.
“I also hope to gain cultural and life experiences by taking part in this program,” he continued. “My life goal is to become a social-culture scholar who helps to remove the cultural barriers that exist among different ethnicities in the world.”
Long attributes his interest in Asian culture to a movie he watched as a child. “In the movie, the dragon was not scary or killing people—he was nice,” Long explained. “I remember asking my mom why the dragon wasn’t mean. She told me that the Chinese people think differently from us and have a different culture. I can probably trace my interest in cultures and cultural differences to that.”
Appropriately, Long’s last name means dragon in Chinese. “It’s a funny coincidence,” he said. “I guess it was meant to be.”
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Penn State Behrend offers one associate and eight baccalaureate degree programs, a pre-law curriculum, a fifth-year teaching certification, seven minors and a study abroad program in cooperation with Northampton University in England. Students at Penn State Behrend often collaborate with faculty on research and outreach programs, have access to technology-enhanced classrooms, including state-of-the art digital editing and psychology laboratories, and publish “Lake Effect,” a nationally recognized literary magazine edited by students. The school hosts the Creative Writer’s Speaker Series and both the International and Women’s Film Series, plus offers various musical and theater opportunities to its students. For more information, visit www.pserie.psu.edu.