Six arts and sciences undergraduate students have been selected to receive Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships to study abroad.

Nathan Blackwell (music and Japanese) will be travelling to Japan to take part in the Waseda University International Exchange Program (9/1/2012 – 7/31/13); Meagan Jones (history) will participating in the Field School Pozzeveri in Medieval Archaeology and Bioarchaeology at Badia Pozzeveri (Lucca Province), Italy (7/8/-8/4/2012); Alexandra Larson (Spanish, speech and hearing science) will be studying abroad in Spain at Toledo Fundacion Jose Ortega Y Gassett (6/15-8/4/2012); Chase Ledin (English, creative writing, sexuality studies) will be traveling to the University of Greenwich, England to take part in the English Literature Program (7/1-8/11/2012); Melissa Lenz (international studies), will be traveling to France to participate in the ISA French Language and Culture Program at the Sorbonne (2/1-6/1/13); and, Kurt Schmittgen (English) will study abroad in Dresden, Germany for the summer program (6/20-8/17/2012).

Keith Monda (BS, economics, 1968; MA, economics, 1971) and his wife Linda established the Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships in the College of Arts and Sciences with a $5 million dollar gift. The need-based scholarships enable arts and sciences students, who normally would not have the opportunity to travel and study abroad, to have an international experience.

“Keith and Linda have dedicated their lives to finding ways to make education and educational experiences accessible and affordable to all persons,” said Joseph Steinmetz, executive dean and vice provost, College of Arts and Sciences. “Thanks to their extraordinary generosity, these undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences are realizing their dreams of living and learning abroad.”

The Mondas hope that by endowing the International Experience Scholarships others will come forward with support so that arts and sciences students can access international opportunities. “Linda and I are deeply committed to fostering opportunities for students to broaden their world view and deepen their understanding of global issues,” said Keith Monda. “Traveling and studying abroad is a life-changing experience and we must find a way to make study abroad accessible and affordable for all.”