Hummel International Student Scholarship

I was informed through email yesterday (Tuesday) that I am one of the two recipients of the Laurel Hummel International Student Scholarship at UCLA Extension for the Spring Term '07. The announcement came as a pleasant surprise and I decided that the subject merits a space in my blog.

The Laurel Hummel Scholarship for International Students was established as a tribute by the Hummel family to Laurel Hummel, who founded the first International Student Office and certificate program for international students at UCLA Extension back in the 1970s. The purpose of the award is "to foster multicultural perspectives in the classroom that reflect today's global society." It acknowledges students who have "demonstrated academic achievement, interpersonal communication skills, or unique abilities that advance multicultural perspectives in the classroom through their coursework..."

Applicants are required to have completed at least one full term while maintaining a minimum GPA, submit two recommendation letters, and sit for an impromptu essay together with other applicants.

I decided to give it a try. I was aware of the high-quality of international students applying and the diversity of backgrounds that each of us came from. But I also thought that I have something to contribute to those "multicultural perspectives" through my background and experiences. In fact, I, and all other applicants, may already be doing so through day-to-day activities, conversations, etc. It's just a matter of being conscious about it and expressing how that awareness influences one's ideas, thinking, and lifestyle.

My recommendation letters were written by Dr. Alex Azmi, my instructor in Information Technology Management 1, and Dr. Jack Yu, my AWANA Director. Their recommendations were an enormous help and I very much appreciate their kindness. The essay writing was held last March 1.

Having received a full scholarship in DLSU and, this time, the Hummel award in UCLA Ext., I am a grateful beneficiary of others' generosity and noble interests. I'd like to do my part and contribute my share to these kinds of deeds more directly in the future - when I have enough capacity to do so, fully able to support myself and fulfill my commitments. In the meantime, I am still a work in progress.

Also, I'd like to meet Laurel Hummel's husband, William, who established the scholarship. I may get the chance come Spring time.