BOREN SCHOLAR BEGINS IMMERSIVE STUDY IN BRAZIL
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ROM AN EARLY AGE, Judy Genshaft Honors College senior Gillian Olortegui has had an interest in the Latin American region. “It built from growing up with a Peruvian Dad and taking classes like ‘Indigenous Politics in Latin America’ and then studying abroad through the Honors College,” says Olortegui. Her experiences at USF and within the College helped finetune that interest into a career path. In her sophomore year, Olortegui spent two weeks participating in a service-learning projects in Pisac, Peru led by Honors faculty member Dr. Alan Bush. “That trip gave me the motivation and pathway to change my major to International Studies with the goal of working internationally,” said Olortegui. “I really enjoyed advocating for another country and experiencing their unique way of living. I was also able to explore my newfound love for world languages, which motivated me to seek other opportunities where I can learn a foreign language through immersion.” When she saw an advertisement about a workshop that the Office of National Scholarships (ONS) was hosting about the Boren Scholarship, Olortegui was intrigued. The Boren Scholarship is an initiative of the National Security Education Program, and provides unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. “I was honestly nervous attending the info session because I felt shy and less qualified than the others in attendance who were asking more questions and seemed to have a better idea of what they wanted to do with their life,” says Olortegui. “However, it wasn’t until Amber Pierson, a 2019 Boren Scholar from USF, told us her story and experience in Thailand that the award was humanized in my mind. Suddenly the prospect of me actually receiving this award didn’t feel so impossibly out of reach.” Olortegui began working on her Boren application with Lauren Bartshe-Hanlen, Assistant Director for ONS. “Lauren was so nice and helpful and I always walked out of our appointments feeling much more confident and secure than when I came in,” says Olortegui. “She was very good about laying out a game plan and giving me actionable tasks to ponder on and complete before our next meeting, which were mostly weekly for six months.” The hard work paid off as Olortegui was awarded a 2020 Boren Fellowship for one year of Portuguese language study in Brazil, beginning in Fall 2021. “Upon arriving in Brazil, I will begin studying intensive Portuguese at the university, Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP),” says Olortegui. “In addition to my studies I will
participate in cultural and extracurricular activities all taught in Portuguese, and plan to intern with the Brazilian and American Youth Cultural Exchange (BRAYCE) at the Graded American School in São Paulo. I will be assigned to favela (slum) work projects for children between the ages of six and 16. This will include teaching after-school activities in the visual arts, dance, theater, mentorship, media, crafts, music, and sports, and supporting a percussion class and teaching English.” Her service and education in Brazil will immerse her in the culture and add to her mastery of the language. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the world through a new set of eyes,” says Olortegui. “I plan to make a lifelong connection with the city and the people I meet inside of it. In addition, learning Portuguese will help me immensely in my career and will complement my degree in International Studies perfectly.” Her ONS advisor agrees. “We are very proud that Gillian has been recognized by the Boren Awards for her dedication and curiosity to learn about other cultures and languages,” said Bartshe-Hanlen. “Spending substantial time in Brazil and developing proficiency in Portuguese uniquely positions her to become a future leader in our country’s engagement with South America.” After her Boren experience, Olortegui plans to pursue her master’s degree and then begin a career utilizing her education and language skills. “I would like to work for a non-profit or governmental department in the U.S. or a Portuguese-speaking country,” says Olortegui. “I’m hoping that this experience abroad will naturally introduce me to jobs and careers in the region or back home that align with the skills that I will gain through this opportunity. I am particularly interested in the favelas of São Paulo, and I’d like to see how I could use my degree and interest in sustainable urban development to assist this overcrowded city.” JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 37
