HIGH POINT, N.C., April 26, 2023 – High Point University student Daniel Desjarlais, an international relations and criminal justice double-major, has been awarded a Boren Scholarship. As a Boren Scholar, Desjarlais will study Turkish language and culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this summer and at Azerbaijan University in Baku, Azerbaijan, this fall through the Boren’s Turkish Language Flagship Initiative.
“I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Mark Setzler, professor of political science and director of the international relations program; Dr. Andrew Tzavaras, instructor of history; and Dr. James Cotton, director for the Office of Fellowships and Awards, and assistant professor of English, throughout the application process,” said Desjarlais. “The guidance and feedback they provided were instrumental in helping me put forth a strong Boren application. My positive experiences working with Dr. Cotton through the Office of Fellowships and Awards were critical in identifying the award that best aligns with my career aspirations and in writing my application essays.”
The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), a component of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO). NSEP is 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 to acquire language skills in countries critical to the future security and stability of the United States. Boren Awards fund study in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to employment in the federal government for at least one year.
“HPU’s international relations and criminal justice programs have well prepared Daniel for his Boren studies and a career in the federal government,” said Cotton. “We are so proud of his success.”