Auburn undergraduate awarded Boren Scholarship to study in China

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Auburn University undergraduate Nicole Hogue has been awarded the David L. Boren Scholarship and will spend the next academic year studying Mandarin Chinese at Capital Normal University in Beijing, China, and the Harbin Institute of Technology in Weihai, China. The Boren Scholarship aims to increase the number of American students studying in nations that are underrepresented in traditional study abroad programs.

Hogue, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts from Charlotte, North Carolina, is majoring in French international trade and minoring in Asian studies and military science.

The scholarship, established by former U.S. Sen. David Boren from Oklahoma and funded by the National Security Education Program, focuses on geographic areas, languages and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to add an important international and language component to their education through specialization in area study, language study or increased language proficiency.

“I am thrilled about receiving the Boren Scholarship and I look forward to my time abroad and the opportunities that will come with it,” said Hogue. “I am grateful for the support the Auburn community has given me – specifically, the continued support and guidance from my Chinese professor Xiong Ying, and from my cadre from Army ROTC, Master Sergeant Chad Fisher and Lieutenant Colonel Roshun Steele.”

Hogue, with a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average, is a member of the Auburn University Army ROTC “War Eagle” Battalion where, upon graduation, she will commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. A member of the Dean’s list since her first semester, Hogue is a recipient of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures Catsanoli Young Scholars in Foreign Language Award.

Outside of the classroom, Hogue is active in the International Buddy program and as a member of the Mandarin English Language Exchange Program where she assists her fellow students in language acquisition. Hogue has also completed the U.S. Army’s Cultural Understanding and Language Program in Madagascar during the summer of 2017. In addition to her stellar classroom performance, Hogue is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School and later this summer she will attend the Army Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

“Cadet Hogue will not only benefit from the Boren Scholarship in China, but as a future Army officer, the ability to overcome cultural and language differences is critical to our national security,” said Master Sergeant Chad Fisher, senior military science instructor. “I look forward to following her career in the future and know that our country will be in very capable hands with her as a leader of our young men and women.”

For additional information about the Boren Scholarship, contact Paul Harris at the Honors College at paul.harris@auburn.edu. For more information about the Boren Scholarship, go to https://www.borenawards.org/.

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The Honors College at Auburn University is designed to provide a select cohort of high-ability students a means to experience, explore, engage and elevate their academic dreams. The college offers four types of graduation distinctions, smaller class sizes, priority registration, undergraduate research and internship opportunities, study and travel experiences, access to graduate-level courses, peer tutoring sessions, flexible curriculums and designated Honors housing and study areas. Students engage in an academically challenging set of courses and programs to provide a deeper understanding of the class material.