May 22, 2025
The Boren Awards give undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity 鈥 and funding 鈥 to pursue a wide range of critical languages, such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian or Swahili. It鈥檚 an award that caught the interest of Mizzou 糖心Vlog传媒 student 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.
鈥淩eceiving the Boren acceptance email honestly felt like a dream,鈥 said Dannaldson, who is a junior electrical engineering major. 鈥淎t first, I couldn鈥檛 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鈥檛 expect much 鈥 especially given how competitive the program is. That鈥檚 why being selected this time around means so much. I really feel like I鈥檒l be able to achieve my goal of reaching a strong level of Mandarin proficiency before graduating 鈥 and without having to pay very much out of pocket!鈥
Dannaldson will travel to Taipei, Taiwan, and will participate in the Council on International Educational Exchange鈥檚 (CIEE) Summer Accelerated Chinese Language Program. It鈥檚 an intensive 8-week Chinese language course that includes regular cultural excursions to nearby areas.
鈥淚鈥檝e signed up for a homestay, which I鈥檓 especially excited about 鈥 it鈥檒l keep me immersed and give me a deeper insight into local life,鈥 Dannaldson said. 鈥淚 also plan to take the language pledge to get the most out of the experience.鈥
At Mizzou, Dannaldson revived the Chinese Language and Culture Association and now serves as the president. He鈥檚 taken two semesters of elementary Chinese and currently works at Bamboo Terrace, a Chinese restaurant in downtown Columbia.
鈥淲hile I don鈥檛 know many Taiwanese people here, I do have a few Chinese friends who I practice Mandarin with from time to time,鈥 Dannaldson said. 鈥淚 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.
鈥淪ince Mandarin is spoken in Taiwan, I think I鈥檒l be going in with a solid foundation. Culturally, I鈥檝e picked up some useful mannerisms from the owners at Bamboo Terrace that I think will carry over well in Taiwan. I鈥檝e also made a playlist featuring a number of Taiwanese artists to help me immerse myself even more.鈥
This story originally appeared on the website of the .