(Top, left to right: Walker Bell, Evie Dukes, Larissa Frisby. Bottom, left to right: Emily Gillis, Kat Huddy, Emma Grace Young)

WKU Seniors Walker Bell, Evie Dukes, Larissa Frisby, Emily Gillis, Kat Huddy, and Emma Grace Young have each been awarded $25,000 David L. Boren Scholarships to fund language-focused study abroad during the 2025-2026 academic year.  

With 6 of its 8 applicants awarded this year, WKU has been named a Top Performing Institution for the second year in a row. WKU tied for 3rd in the nation for Boren Scholarships alongside University of Rhode Island, exceeding the average selection rate by more than 50%. WKU students have historically been very successful in Boren Awards competition; since 2012, 42 of 71 total applicants have been awarded.  

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. The Boren Awards fund, in particular, study abroad longer than six months in countries outside western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with significant language components (greater than 15 hours per week). This year’s national cohort of Boren Scholars and Fellows intend to study in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and South America. They will study 26 different languages, the most popular of which are Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Swahili, and Turkish. In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to work in the federal government for at least one year. Boren awardees receive significant early-career support after graduating, as well as preference in hiring. It is, therefore, a key program for students interested in federal careers and issues with international dimensions. 

All six students named Boren Scholars are members of WKU’s intensive Chinese Flagship Program (CFP). The CFP 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, which will be funded by the Boren Scholarship, 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. Flagship students work closely with the Office of Scholar Development throughout their time at WKU, applying for nationally competitive awards to fund required language-intensive study abroad as well as other professional development opportunities. 

2025 Boren Scholarship awardees: 

Walker Bell of Louisville is the son of Jim and Malissia Bell, studying International Affairs, Chinese, and Economics. After the Capstone year, he wants to pursue a career in economic policy analysis for the State Department.   

Evie Dukes is studying Environmental, Sustainability, and Geographic Studies, Spanish, and Chinese. After the Capstone year, she plans to fulfill her federal service obligation using her Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills in the Intelligence Community.  

Larissa Frisby of Bowling Green is the daughter of Crystal and James Frisby and a First-Generation college student studying Psychology and Chinese. After the Capstone year, she plans to pursue graduate study in Psychology or Teaching English as Secondary Language before completing her federal service in the Intelligence Community. 

Emily Gillis of Louisville is studying Chinese and Military Science. After the Capstone year, she plans to serve as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Military to advance national security interests.  

Kat Huddy of Lewisport is studying International Affairs, Chinese, and Applied Data Analytics. After the Capstone year, she plans to become a language analyst in a federal agency.  

Emma Grace Young of Bowling Green is the daughter of Robert and Tracey Young studying Computer Science and Chinese. After the Capstone year, Emma plans to pursue a career as a computer scientist in the Intelligence Community, with long term plans to be a part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Since 1994, over 8000 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 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. 

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. 

Contact: Melinda Grimsley