What could you discover during a year studying abroad? High school students who live in Hollis or Brookline have an opportunity to find out with a Rotary Study Abroad Scholarship. Each year the Hollis-Brookline Rotary offers one or two scholarships to students between the ages of 15 and 18 to live and go to school in a non-English speaking country for 10 months. During that time students live with two or three host families who soon become as close as their own family.
"Living abroad can prompt self-reflection that helps people better understand their own motivations, personalities, strengths and weaknesses, suggests research in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. In one experiment, researchers surveyed almost 300 Americans—about half of whom had lived abroad—and found that those who had lived in another country had a clearer sense of self. They expressed more agreement with statements like "I have a clear sense of who I am and what I am" and less agreement with statements like "Sometimes I think I know other people better than I know myself" or "My beliefs about myself seem to change very frequently." In a follow-up experiment, researchers found concrete evidence for this increased self-awareness: They asked 551 MBA students to rate their own decision-making abilities, skill at managing conflict, communication skills and other attributes. Then they asked the students' peers to rate them on the same skills. Students who had lived abroad were more likely to make self-assessments that agreed with their peers' assessments, the researchers found." DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.01.002 (http://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/07-08/inbrief.aspx)
According to college admission officers from two universities in North Carolina, if all else is equal they view an admission application with a study abroad experience as having more weight. They believe these students show more maturity, independence and responsibility and they recommend leveraging the experience to make the student stand out in their applications. "The world is more inter-connected and desperately needs global leaders. Rotary brings in the most mature students and sends them out to experience and learn more about the world, giving them a ton of personal development, intercommunication and professional development."
If you or a student you know is interested in learning more about applying for a Rotary Study Abroad Scholarship (valued at $24,000), contact Melinda at exchange@HBRotary.org. The scholarship application process starts now and is due by October 15. Final interviews are in November and scholarships will be awarded then.