ACADEMIC STUDIES AWARDS (For Children of FAWCO and FAUSA members)
Arts Award $5000
Recipient: Olivia Jimenez
Olivia seeks a major in film production. She believes that our world is filled with stories worth sharing but in order to share them, these stories need translators. She hopes, with her scholarship and a passport, that she can add her own voice through an American undergraduate education in Cinema. Her mother is a member of AWC Amsterdam.
Sciences Award $5000 Sponsored in part by AIWC Genoa and the Bacigalupo family, in memory of Frieda Bacigalupo Natali
Recipient: Imogen Jacques
Imogen is currently pursuing a Master’s in Science in the Geography of Environmental Risk and Human Security at the United Nations University in Bonn. She is most interested in climate adaptation, which is why she applied for the Young Leader Program at the Global Centre on Adaptation in Rotterdam; she was interning here for the first part of 2019. After this, she will write her Master’s thesis on Climate Adaptation, focusing on Ecosystem-Based Adaptation solutions that reduce exposure to disasters. Her mother is member of AIWC Cologne.
Humanities Awards $5000 Sponsored in part by AAWE Paris, in memory of Gertrude de Gallaix
Recipient: Benjamin Mowat
Benjamin believes the best way to improve the world and fight injustice is through policy and diplomacy. Over the past years, he has volunteered with campaigns, worked with Democrats Abroad, and become active in his local community organizing and speaking at events. He has always wanted to learn more, do more, and make a positive impact on the world. He believes that his chosen major of Political Science will give him the knowledge and
connections he needs to achieve his goals. His mother is a member of AWC The Hague.
connections he needs to achieve his goals. His mother is a member of AWC The Hague.
Humanities Award Sponsored in part by Caroline Newton
Recipient: Rachel Drucker
Rachel plans to pursue a dual degree Master’s program in Social Work and Special Education, with the ultimate professional goal of becoming a school social worker. Her experiences serving as a City Year Student Success Coach with at-risk fifth graders for two years solidified her desire to enter the field of social work and continue to provide trauma-informed social-emotional support to students. She plans to pursue the Children, Youth and Families concentration in social work, in order to focus her efforts on supporting elementary school students’ social-emotional needs. Her mother is member of AWC Amsterdam.
DUAL CULTURAL AWARD (For Children/Grandchildren of FAWCO members - one Parent/Grandparent must be American)
Dual Cultural Award $5000 Sponsored in part by AWC Bern and Donna Erismann, in memory of Suzanne Erismann
Recipient: Sophie Romain
Sophie is applying to the Young Scholars Program at the University of Maryland to gain an authentic and demanding college experience, while earning college credit. Building on the Immerse Law program she completed last summer at the University of Cambridge, she plans to attend the course “Leadership of the Common Good” which will allow her to improve her critical and persuasive reasoning and to study the theory and practice of public leadership, citizenship and civic engagement in the United States. She also hopes to gain a deeper understanding of public policy and a more precise assessment of university life in the United States in order to make a more educated choice in the fall when selecting universities and a course of study. Her mother is a member of IWC Munich.
MEMBER AWARDS (For FAWCO and FAUSA members)
Shirley Kearney University Study Degree Award $5000
Recipient: (Cecilia) Zhou Zhuang
(Cecelia) Zhou Zhuang, member of AIWA Rabat,a has volunteered her personal time to provide entrepreneurship forums and gender equality workshops to hundreds of young professionals in China. She has hosted high-panel discussions between college students with British Parliament members, foreign diplomats, and a former Vice Mayor of Los Angeles. In 2015, she was honored to share her experiences at the UN Women’s “Empower Women Luncheon” in Shanghai. Her social media platform produced a Girls 20 Ambassador, a Harvard Seed Fellow, 160 Asia Pacific Youth Exchange participants, and 109 UNESCO Language Champion Challenge participants. Her intended field of study is a Master’s in development management at the Asian Institute of Management.
Women in STEM $5000 In Honor of AWA Dubai's 21 years serving the international community of Dubai
Recipient: Rebecca Zenkevich
Rebecca Zenkevich, a member of AWO Moscow, has spent 7.5 years working full time in acute care as an Occupational Therapist. In working with an aging population, she learned that she wanted to change public perception about how much this population can do. She wishes to gain a deeper understanding of elderhood, improve her language when talking about aging and become an advocate in “Disrupting Ageism” no matter where she lives or works. It is her plan to enter a Graduate Gerontology program where she can develop her profession as an Occupational Therapist.
FAUSA Skills Enhancement Award $5000
Recipient: Mary Wienke
Mary Wienke worked as an attorney in the United States. Since living in Germany, she has provided legal opinions on matters that involved English speakers, but never felt confident enough to help German speakers. She plans to study German at the Goethe-lnstitut so that she could work as a volunteer to help women who have suffered abuse, such as victims of trafficking, obtain the legal assistance that they need; and to provide support so that such women understand their rights and how the law can help them. She would also liaison with their lawyers to assure their cases receive the necessary attention. She is a member of AWC Hamburg.
Continuing Education Award $5000 Sponsored by Mary Stewart Burgher of the AWC Denmark, in memory of Pauline "Pete" Arnold Schweppe
Recipient: Maya Guice
Maya Guice has worked freelance as a brand consultant, producing websites, posters, press kits, and presentations for a variety of small businesses related to the arts. She plans to begin design courses at the Miami Ad School in Berlin, Germany where she intends to take a custom set of technical classes related to the Adobe Creative Suite, typography and UX/UI design. She believes that taking structured, professional-level design courses will allow her to not only master design and branding principles, but also communicate more effectively with her colleagues and clients, and ultimately, feel empowered to take on bigger, more complex projects. She is a member of AWC Berlin.
A very heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to all of our 2019 Education Award Recipients!
Thinking about applying for a 2020 Education Award? Consult the Timeline below for tips on efficient and timely completion of your application.