Congratulations to Irene Cheng, a graduating senior in Modern Languages-Chinese and Clemson’s first-ever winner of a Boren Fellowship for Graduate Students. Boren Fellowships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests. In exchange for funding, Boren Fellows commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.
Irene told us about her plans:
“I will be studying Mandarin Chinese (with emphasis on medical terminology), volunteering at a local hospital, and researching transcultural health practices at Southwest Minzu University in Chengdu, China for the 2018-2019 academic year. I am so excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine both of my majors (Bioengineering and Mandarin) and have been blessed with the support and guidance I’ve received throughout my last four years at Clemson. I am so thankful for all of my Chinese professors who have taught me so much and given me so many experiences both in Clemson and in China. I fell in love with Mandarin my freshman year in Chinese 101 and haven’t looked back. I’ve learned that my Clemson family is found all over the world. I plan on completing graduate school upon my return and look for opportunities in translational research.”
