WKU News

Seven students have been awarded $25,000 David L. Boren Scholarships to fund intensive language study in Taiwan during the 2026-2027 academic year. All are students in the Chinese Flagship Program at WKU. 

The Boren Scholarship will fund the recipients’ Capstone Year in Taiwan, the culminating experience of WKU’s intensive Chinese Flagship Program. The Chinese Flagship Program is intended to advance students to a level of fluency required to operate in a professional environment--often from zero experience at the beginning of their undergraduate career. In the Capstone Year, Flagship students spend the first semester enrolled directly in courses at a host university and the second semester in a professional internship related to their academic and career goals. 

Samantha Gerdes (upper left) of Hendersonville, TN, is a major in international affairs and Chinese. Gerdes found herself particularly well-suited to Boren, as the program aligned closely with her interest in pursuing a career in the federal government after her Flagship Capstone Year, utilizing the skills she’s developed during her time at WKU and through her study abroad in Taiwan.

Emma Harris (upper middle), the daughter of Janel and Wynn Harris, majors in English (professional writing), international affairs, and Chinese. Harris is also a Housing & Residence Life Apartments Community Assistant, has served as the President and Fundraising/Treasury Chair for the Resident Staff Association, acted as vice president for PCAL Deans Council of Students, and participated in the Downtown BGKY Ambassadors and Dynamic Leader Institute. After her Flagship Capstone Year, Harris plans to enter the Peace Corps and later pursue a career in diplomacy or international security. 

Elizabeth Mikeworth (upper right), a major in international affairs, Chinese, legal studies, and Asian religions and cultures, has long been aware of the importance of language and international connections calling both Konosha, Russia and Mount Vernon, Kentucky her hometowns. After completing her Flagship Capstone Year, Mikeworth plans to pursue a career as a lawyer, specializing in comparative law and assisting organizations operating across differing legal systems in international contexts.

Seren Semrau (not pictured), the daughter of Nancy and Robert Semrau of Crestwood, KY, is a double major in Chinese and Criminology.

Zachary Vandermolen (lower left), the son of Yertty and Ronald Vandermolen of Glasgow, KY, is a pre-med student, studying chemistry and Chinese. After completing his Flagship Capstone Year, Vandermolen plans to attend the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Rowen Wilkinson (lower right), the son of Penny and Stephen Wilkinson of Knoxville, TN, studies international affairs, Chinese, and Spanish. He is also involved in WKU Track and Field, WKU Cross Country, WKU ROTC, the Mahurin Honors College, and served as the Spanish Club Treasurer. After his Flagship Capstone Year, Wilkinson will be commissioning into the U.S. Army and plans to pursue the Foreign Area Officer (FAO) program to continue advancing his language skills. After his time in the Army, Wilkinson plans to work in diplomacy or politics.

One WKU Boren Awardee has declined public recognition and is therefore not listed.

As a cohort, the Boren Awardees noted the importance of their support network including the faculty and staff in the Chinese Flagship Program, the Office of Scholar Development, and professors in their majors outside of Chinese in developing successful applications and setting up their Capstone Year in Taiwan for success.

Mikeworth explained, “I would love to recognize Dr. Timothy Rich and Dr. Soleiman Kiasatpour in the Political Science Department for being such a great help with the application to many of us Flagship students in international affairs, Anna Mayo in OSD for her excellent introspective skills in helping with essay revisions, and Dr. Ke Peng in Chinese Flagship for always serving as a recommender and being there for us!”

About the Boren Awards: The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), a federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. Boren Awards provide U.S. undergraduate and graduate students with resources and encouragement to acquire language skills and experience in countries critical to the future security and stability of the United States. In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to work in the federal government for a period of at least one year. 

Since 1994, over 7,400 American students have received Boren Awards and contributed their vital skills to careers in support of the critical missions of agencies throughout the federal government. “To continue to play a leadership role in the world, it is vital that America’s future leaders have a deep understanding of the rest of the world,” says former U.S. Senator David Boren, the principal author of the legislation that created the National Security Education Program. “As we seek to lead through partnerships, understanding of other cultures and languages is absolutely essential.” 

About the Chinese Flagship Program: WKU's federally funded Chinese Flagship Program dynamically integrates Chinese language instruction in every stage of the undergraduate educational path. It is designed to bring talented students who start with no knowledge of Chinese up to superior levels of proficiency by the time they graduate from college by infusing study in the Mahurin Honors College with Chinese language learning opportunities, incorporating a series of mandatory study abroad experiences and internships throughout students’ collegiate careers, and transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries that separate language education from learning within the major. 

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development mentors students applying for national scholarships to fund “academic extras” such as study abroad, research, professional experience, and more. From first drafts to final submissions with multiple revisions in between, OSD helps students make more possible. By conceptualizing and revising the stories they tell in application essays and interviews, students better understand their strengths, interests, and purpose—and explore multiple possible pathways to that work. 

Contact: Anna Mayo anna.mayo@wku.edu