NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM 2014 ANNUAL REPORT BOREN SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS ENGLISH FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS LANGUAGE TRAINING CENTERS NATIONAL LANGUAGE SERVICE CORPS ADVANCED FLAGSHIP LANGUAGE INITIATIVE PROJECT GLOBAL OFFICER THE LANGUAGE FLAG SHIP The estimated cost of this report or study for the Department of Defense is approximately $16,000 in Fiscal Years 2014 - 2015. This includes $7,000 in expenses and $9,230 in DoD labor. Generated on 2015Jan15 RefID: C-E90A501 BOREN ALUMNI QUOTES The National Security Education Program (NSEP) “The Boren Fellowship gave me insight into partnered with the Center for Naval Analyses federal opportunities that I had not previously (CNA) in 2014 to examine the Boren Scholarships considered.” and Fellowships program: identifying where alumni currently work, the influence of the Boren “The Boren Fellowship was extremely influential in program on their career paths, and how their my life. I would have been unable to spend an careers have developed since completing their entire year abroad in an immersion program.” service requirements. To gather input from Boren alumni, CNA developed and fielded a survey to “I became just the sort of international security Boren Scholars and Fellows who have completed professional that the Boren seeks to cultivate. I their service requirement. They subsequently am immensely grateful for the opportunity.” analyzed the data collected and produced a final report. The following anonymous comments “The collaborations I established as a Boren were left by alumni at the conclusion of their Fellow during grad school have lasted for 15 survey responses, and are also published in CNA’s years and are continuing.” report.1 “The fellowship I received was truly an amazing “My Boren Scholarship experience was formative. experience and it allowed me to link security and My life would not be the same absent it. I am development issues before entering the incredibly grateful for the opportunities it workforce. I reference these linkages on a regular provided me.” basis in my Program Officer position with USAID.” “There would have been virtually no other "After completing my NSEP/Boren Fellowship, I opportunity to learn the language skills needed was able to obtain other fellowships to return to for my current position. I certainly would not be the country where I did my language where I am now without the Boren Scholarship study…When I went looking for jobs, I had four and Fellowship.” offers right away…I hope our legislative branch understands how tremendously important these “The Boren Fellowship provided me practical, on- international student programs are.” the ground experience in the country I studied in. While my colleagues can speak abstractly about “I credit the Boren Scholarship and the the country, I can vividly recall the country's subsequent service requirement as the TOP nuanced character and complex personalities.” influencer to my current career path, working in national security for the Department of Defense… “The Boren was a terrific resource in helping me I do not think I would be in my current position get started in an exciting international career.” had I not received the Boren scholarship while in college. I have been working in the Federal “I didn't know about the special hiring authority Government in national security positions for over when I applied for the Boren, but that turned out 10 years. During that time I completed 3 to be the most valuable part of the award. I deployments, 2 language immersions, am would not have been able to get a job in Federal preparing for a 6 month overseas assignment, government without it.” and I love what I do.” “I would not be on my current career path, or working for my current agency, if I had not “I had absolutely no inclination to join the Federal received the Boren Fellowship.” Government before receiving the Boren Fellowship. Because of the Service Requirement, I found my ideal job and have completed almost 13 years in the same job.” 1 Wolfanger, Russell, and Miller (2014). Boren Scholarship and Fellowship Survey. Arlington, VA: Center for Naval Analyses I “This was an amazing program and without it I strengthened my candidacy for the Foreign would not have had the opportunity to study Service…I just celebrated my five year abroad. Through the program, I gained anniversary in the Foreign Service and hope to understanding and appreciation for the blessing I stay here my whole career.” have been given to have been born and to live in the United States of America. The entire “Boren was a tremendous opportunity for me. experience majorly changed my life and my Without it, I would have been unlikely to have world view.” achieved advanced language proficiency or a strong understanding of my area.” “The Boren Fellowship was one of the most important academic/professional development “The program was a life-changing experience… opportunities that I have had.” It broadened my world perspective and set me on a course to accept intelligence agency “Boren is an outstanding program and I rotational assignments overseas and to pursue recommend it to everyone who is looking to gain more ambitious goals.” language and other professional development opportunities.” “This scholarship program was the only reason I was able to afford to study abroad.” “The Boren Fellowship has helped me through every step of my education and career “Academically and personally, the Boren development. The award allowed me to travel, Fellowship has been one of the most seminal perform research, and develop international moments of my graduate school experience. I collaborations… Upon graduation, the NSEP was grateful for the experience, and privileged helped me to find and apply for positions in the for the opportunity to serve my country. Thank Federal government. The hiring authority allowed you!” a Federal agency to hire me directly. Now, I have my dream job, and am working to make a positive difference in the world.” “I was the first from my university to receive a Boren Scholarship, and I strongly believe it II STUDENT SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS 2013 – Jeffrey Wood Jeffrey was a 2013 Boren Scholar to China and is now a senior at George Mason University studying global affairs and Chinese. While in China, Mr. Wood interviewed First Lady Michelle Obama during her visit to the country on behalf of the 100,000 Strong Campaign. Most recently, his experiences in China were featured in the documentary film "Beyond the Wall." This film was screened at the Department of Education in November, 2014 to launch the department’s activities for International Education Week. Jeffrey continues to be actively involved with Starr Brainard on Boren experience in Cairo, Egypt NSEP, and when he graduates, plans to work with the Foreign Service on China relations. 2011 – Sarah Allis Sarah was an undergraduate at Kalamazoo 2012 – Starr Brainard College when she was awarded a Boren Starr was pursuing her undergraduate degree in scholarship to study in Japan. She graduated Environmental Studies at American University with her Bachelor of Arts in 2013 and now works when she was awarded a Boren Scholarship to as a Human Resources Assistant for the Veterans study Arabic in Egypt. Although she just Health Care System at the Department of graduated in 2014, Starr has already interned Veterans Affairs. She appreciates supporting with the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory where she veterans and providing benefits that encourage researched ocean circulation trends for the people to continue to enlist in the military, Department of Commerce with the National defending our national interests and security. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.) Starr plans to return to Egypt to study 2010 – Nathan Christensen water management in the country’s Western Nathan studied in Turkey as a 2010 Boren Desert, believing that “the degradation of Scholarship recipient. As a STEM student (Science natural resources in the Middle East needs to be Technology Engineering, and Mathematics), at the forefront of any security discussion.” Nathan spent his Boren study abroad not only studying Turkish and increasing his understanding 2011 – Shannon Kirejczyk of the region but also continuing his rigorous After being awarded a Boren Fellowship to study study of mathematics. He received a Bachelor of Swahili in 2010, Shannon obtained a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics and Statistics from Public Health and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine the University of Minnesota Morris in 2011 and is degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of now working for the Department of Defense as a Public Health (2011) and Tufts University Scientist. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (2013). Currently, Shannon is working for the Department 2002 – Norah Ahmed of Defense in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps as a After receiving a Boren Scholarship to study Field Veterinary Services Officer. She is serving as Bambara in Mali in 2002, Nora went on to pursue the Officer-in-Charge and single veterinarian of her interest in international law by obtaining a a seven-soldier team. Shannon provides medical common law and civil law degree from the and surgical care to military working dogs and Faculty of Law at McGill University. She now privately owned animals in addition to ensuring works as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Jack B. the wholesomeness of food and water sources Weinstein of the United State District Court for the for U.S. troops in deployed environments Eastern District of New York. She works on federal worldwide. cases of international character and related to the United States’ national security interests. II III PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR READINESS AND FORCE MANAGEMENT (ASD(R&FM)), PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF THE ASD(R&FM) LETTER This year marks the 20th consecutive annual competition of the Boren and Scholars and Fellows Program.