Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_12622" align="alignright" width="392" caption="Kaitlyn Banister, professional and organizational communication major and a sociology minor, leaves in August to study in Wuhan, China for a year. Banister says she wanted to see more of the world after her previous study abroad experience in San Paulo, Brazil. Here she is pictured on China Street in San Paulo."][/caption]

Scholarship takes UW-L student to China for a year

Top three things Kaitlyn Banister is looking forward to during her year abroad in China:

• Climbing the Great Wall.

• Being culturally immersed in a city of 10 million people.

• Getting stuck in a bike jam instead of a traffic jam.

“The question is what am I not looking forward to,” says the UW-L senior. She has been awarded a Confucius Institute Scholarship for one year of study at South Central University of Nationalities in Wuhan, China — one of UW-L’s partner universities. She is the first UW-L student to receive this comprehensive scholarship to live and study in China. UW-L has more than 100 international partnerships, including programs for students and faculty. Partnerships allow faculty to further their education and establish research and make other professional connections abroad. Plus, faculty bring culture back to their classrooms. These international agreements also bring international students to UW-L. International students attending UW-L in 2010-11 contributed just over $9.1 million to the local economy according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. That’s the largest impact of any college in western Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. Partnerships also broaden La Crosse's sister city relationships. For example, UW-L has played a leading role in the creation of a university in Dubna, Russia, a sister city to La Crosse. The partnership has grown to include student, faculty and staff exchanges as well as joint grant applications to expand and support the program. International partnerships trickle down to the local community. Twice a month international students and students who have studied abroad visit local elementary and middle schools in the La Crosse School District to share their international experiences. In addition to contributing to the community, international and study abroad students also broaden their own education and development as global citizens. After studying abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil, her junior year, Banister wanted to see more of the world. She talked to Jay Lokken, director for the Office of International Education, about studying Chinese for three semesters at UW-L with the intention of moving to China after graduation. "He had just received an email a week prior about the scholarship," says Banister. "What better way to learn a language than to fully immerse yourself in it right away?" She already knew about the advantages of learning a language and culture in a foreign country from her experience in Brazil. “I have such a heart for the world and I want to get to know as many cultures and people as I can,” she says.

What is a partnership?

A partnership is an agreement between UW-L and an international institution. In some cases the agreements are exchanges, which allow students to study at the partner university for up to a year. Other agreements allow international students to attend UW-L classes to work toward a specific degree. International students coming to UW-L for degree programs may be eligible to receive UW-L scholarships. In spring 2012, UW-L had 312 degree-seeking international students. Of those, 75 received scholarship awards. Except for one university in Germany, UW-L students do not receive international scholarships from host institutions. However, they can receive stipends or scholarships from UW-L. In spring 2012, 175 students studied abroad. Of those, 62 students applied and received an Academic Initiatives Stipend. The UW-L Foundation also offers scholarships to UW-L students participating on UW-L sponsored study abroad programs.

UW-L Foundation Scholarships for study abroad

• Lloyd Meiners Fund in International Education to support students engaged in international educational exchange with significant academic achievement.
• Max Winter Memorial Scholarship In International Education. Established by Ken and Lynn Winter in memory of their son, Max, who was attending UW-L and was a participant in the Wisconsin-in-Scotland program. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student participating in the Wisconsin-in-Scotland program.
• Harry W. Gardiner Endowment Fund in International Education. Professor Emeritus Harry Gardiner, who taught from 1974-1999 in the psychology department, established this scholarship to recognize academic achievement by psychology majors participating in study abroad programs through the International Education Program.

Other UW-L Foundation scholarships could be applicable to study abroad. For more information on these and other scholarships visit the UW-L Foundation website or contact Sara Olson with the UW-L Foundation at solson@uwlax.edu or 785.8491