The FLAS fellowship is a program supported by the U.S. Department of Education that awards funding to both undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in studying less- commonly taught languages. This panel, comprised of three summer FLAS fellowship recipients, will highlight their personal experience through all phases of the FLAS beginning from the application process to the time each fellow spent abroad learning Portuguese  and Kichwa (a Quechuan language).

The discussion will take an in-depth look at the process that each fellow undergoes to prepare their application and choose their language and the location of the study abroad program. For students interested in applying for a FLAS fellowship, this event will shed light on how successful applicants brought to fruition their desire to study less-commonly taught languages.

Additionally, the panelists will speak about how their academic interests and professional goals inspired their participation in the fellowship and how this broadened their personal and academic perspective. Being that the three panelists come from diverse departmental backgrounds such as International Management, Political Science, and Communication, each fellow will provide a unique perspective in how their experience will shape their academic research and future professional goals. 

Roxanne Blair (M.A. Latin American Studies- International Management and CRP '14) studied Portuguese in Sao Paolo, Brazil, through the Tulane-Emory-Vanderbilt University program.  

Ailesha Ringer (M.A. Latin American Studies- Communication and Sociology '14) studied Portuguese in Sao Paolo, Brazil, through the Tulane-Emory-Vanderbilt University program.  

Fiorella Vera-Adrianzen (M.A. Poltical Science ‘14) studied Kichwa in the Napo Province of Iyarina in Ecuadorian Amazon through the University of Pittsburg’s Amazon and the Andes Field School.