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Story by Logan Jackson
The Boren Awards give undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity – and funding – to pursue a wide range of critical languages, such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian or Swahili. It’s an award that caught the interest of Derek Dannaldson last year. He worked with the Mizzou Office of Global and National Fellowships to craft an application and was named an alternate.
Dannaldson made the decision to apply for the scholarship again this year. While he was originally named an alternate, he was recently promoted to a recipient.
“Receiving the Boren acceptance email honestly felt like a dream,” said Dannaldson, who is a junior electrical engineering major. “At first, I couldn’t believe it. I was an alternate last year and never got promoted, so when I was placed as an alternate again this year, I didn’t expect much – especially given how competitive the program is. That’s why being selected this time around means so much. I really feel like I’ll be able to achieve my goal of reaching a strong level of Mandarin proficiency before graduating – and without having to pay very much out of pocket!”
Dannaldson will travel to Taipei, Taiwan, and will participate in the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) Summer Accelerated Chinese Language Program. It’s an intensive 8-week Chinese language course that includes regular cultural excursions to nearby areas.
“I’ve signed up for a homestay, which I’m especially excited about – it’ll keep me immersed and give me a deeper insight into local life,” Dannaldson said. “I also plan to take the language pledge to get the most out of the experience.”
At Mizzou, Dannaldson revived the Chinese Language and Culture Association and now serves as the president. He’s taken two semesters of elementary Chinese and currently works at Bamboo Terrace, a Chinese restaurant in downtown Columbia.
“While I don’t know many Taiwanese people here, I do have a few Chinese friends who I practice Mandarin with from time to time,” Dannaldson said. “I regularly speak Mandarin with the owners of Bamboo Terrace, too, who have become like Chinese parents to me. My goal with bringing back the Chinese Language and Culture Association has been to create a community of Mandarin learners here at Mizzou.
“Since Mandarin is spoken in Taiwan, I think I’ll be going in with a solid foundation. Culturally, I’ve picked up some useful mannerisms from the owners at Bamboo Terrace that I think will carry over well in Taiwan. I’ve also made a playlist featuring a number of Taiwanese artists to help me immerse myself even more.”