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The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) congratulates Ava Jamerson, a University of Oregon Chinese Flagship Program student, who was selected to receive the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship to study abroad. Ava was awarded $20,000 to support her Chinese Flagship Capstone year in Nanjing, China next year.

The Chinese Flagship Program, coordinated by CASLS, provides students with the opportunity to develop professional-level proficiency in Chinese while studying an academic major of their choice. The program emphasizes real-world linguistic and cultural skills so that graduates are prepared to use their Chinese language and skills in a professional environment.

Ava, currently a sophomore pursuing a social science degree, finds the Chinese Flagship Program very helpful. “It allows me to be surrounded by people who share the same language goals as I do. The students are all driven and serve as a support group through our journey in language learning.”

Ava will attend Nanjing University next year. “I’m looking forward to studying at a Chinese university alongside [native-speaking] Chinese students. It will be a really unique experience. I hope to learn a lot and gain many friends as well as gain some work experience,” Ava says.

David L. Boren Scholarships provide U.S. undergraduate students with funding to acquire language skills and experience in regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad programs. This year, Ava’s was one of 165 Boren Scholarships awarded from a field of 820 applications.

Ava plans to work for the government for at least one year to fulfill the scholarship’s service requirement. She is also considering attending graduate school to study international relations.

The Oregon Chinese Flagship Program is funded by The Language Flagship through the National Security Education Program.