Dear Contributors and Program Participants,
The Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship Fund is now in its twenty-sixth year, and with the addition of the eight students this year who were able to go abroad, 89 University of California students have benefited from your generous contributions. They have pursued international study at universities in Austria, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Scotland, Senegal, Spain, South Korea, and Sweden. For up-to-date information and details on how to contribute at any time, see the Fund website at https://www.bortonscholarship.org.
2022 was our first year partnering with the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) to offer scholarships for full-year study abroad to students across the entire University of California system. The Board of Directors is very pleased with the results thus far. This partnership allows us to have a standard application and common administration of the scholarship across the entire UC system. In 2022, we awarded scholarships to students from UC campuses at Davis, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Our scholarship application can be found here on the UCEAP site and is listed here. We continue our long partnership with Chris’ alma mater UCSD (we awarded 4 scholarships to UCSD students in 2022) but are excited to bring greater diversity to the candidate pool through our partnership with UCEAP as we grow the number of scholarships we seek to award.
2022 Scholarship Recipients:
Milan Au is a Business Administration major at UC Riverside studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic year. Milan grew up in Rosemead, California. While in high school, his Chinese and English teachers instilled in him a love for language learning. He hopes to improve his Korean language skills and learn more about Korea’s Esports culture during this year abroad in Korea. Previously, he volunteered at an insurance/tax office for 10 months, where he helped immigrants obtain green cards. He is keen on helping Esports athletes with their visas and green cards in the future, and he hopes to help ensure that immigrants get the resources they need. Although he plans to explore Korea during his year abroad, his long-term goal is to explore the whole world! He loves to learn about different cultures and enjoys challenging himself in new environments. After studying in South Korea, Milan plans to study abroad in China to achieve fluency in Mandarin.
Valeria Gonzales Perez is a Machine Learning and Cognitive Science major at UCSD studying abroad at the University of Padua (Padova in Italian) in Italy for the 2022-23 academic year. She writes, “When I first read that I had been awarded this scholarship, my dreams of studying abroad in an institution that cultivates a rich understanding of cognitive science and Italy’s culture seemed closer than ever before. It reassured me that my dreams are possible.” Before traveling to Padova, Valeria was able to visit Venice and enjoyed learning about the city’s unique history (e.g. only Venice natives are allowed to be “gondoleros”). At Padova, she has met students from Costa Rica, Pakistan, India, China, Norway, Croatia, Ukraine, Spain, Guatemala, Argentina, France, and many from Germany. She reports, “Overall, I’ve had an experience full of excitement, wonder, and learning in this beautiful city.”
Akito Yatsugi is a UCSD International Business major studying at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan for the 2022-23 academic school year. Akito is a native of San Diego, California where his parents are heavily involved in the local Japanese community. Through interactions with students from Japan and their parents, Akito gained a passion for learning about Japanese culture and language. During his year abroad, Akito plans on fully immersing himself in the Japanese culture by joining student circles as well as actively participating in both school and social events. He reports that, “Classes are interesting and in particular, I find my interpretation class exciting, as it is challenging yet fun.” He was surprised to find that many students at the university speak English well, as many of them have spent time living abroad. In his free time, Akito enjoys surfing, watching baseball, and exploring foods from different countries. He plans to travel to many cities in Japan to eat food items that he has not tried before.
Brianna Angulo is a student at UCSD majoring in Political Science-International Relations and minoring in human rights migration and is studying at Sciences Po in Paris, France for the 2022-23 academic school year. She will graduate from UCSD in June 2023 and plans on attending graduate school to learn more about international relations and immigration policy. Brianna writes, “As a young Latina born and raised in Downey, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles, it is crucial for me to fully immerse myself in my culture and learn more about my family’s journey immigrating from Mexico to the United States. Listening to my grandparents’ immigration stories motivates me to aid fellow immigrants and seek justice for them.” She wants to do further research to understand the immigrant experience and address the current humanitarian crisis. She believes her year abroad in Paris will help her study the importance of political participation, gain a deeper understanding of global issues, and experience cultural immersion. Brianna reports that her classes are very exciting and what has struck her most “is the passion and ambition of the students. It is very motivating and pushes me to do my best.”
Ashley Lopez is an International Relations major at UC Davis, studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic school year. She is a first-generation student from Los Angeles. She has been studying Korean since her senior year of high school and has loved every challenge of learning a new language and culture. Studying Korean has made Ashley more involved in learning about cultures and aspects of society that are different from her own. She is excited to finally attend her dream University at Yonsei, a dream that was stalled by the pandemic. After graduation, Ashley hopes to pursue a Korean Language degree and continue higher education in International Relations. She enjoys cafe hopping and going around the city to take photos in her free time. While in Korea, Ashley writes that she “aims to fully immerse herself in the culture and its people to get the most out of her time in Korea.”
Duy Nguyen is an International Studies-Political Science major at UCSD studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic year. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Duy was exposed to a diversity of cultures throughout his youth, especially the Korean community in Garden Grove. These early experiences motivated him to pursue International Studies and Political Science at UCSD, while specializing in Japanese and Korean Studies as his minors. Duy believes his experience abroad will allow him to unlock a new understanding of international politics from South Korea's perspective, as well as gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Korean culture. Duy is the first in his family to attend a four-year college and hopes to pursue a doctorate in international politics in order to teach other college students. Duy was a research assistant under Ph.D. candidate Patrick Hulme at the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, whose work consists of analyzing Congressional sentiments on the use of military force and the presidential authority to do so across a wide range of U.S. foreign conflicts. Duy helped to analyze these Congressional sentiments and has researched conflicts ranging from the Korean War to the current conflict in Ukraine. In his free time, Duy enjoys working out, watching sports, and eating spicy food. Whether engrossed in his studies, wandering around the campus at Yonsei University or catching a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, Duy is excited to study abroad in South Korea.
Ragini Krishnaswami is a Korean major at UCLA studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korean for the 2022-23 academic year. Her interest in Korean language and culture was piqued in her senior year of high school. Ragini has been exposed to multiple languages from a very young age; three of which are Indian languages. She explored her interest by learning other foreign languages, but she was most captivated by Korean. She made Korean her major at UCLA and found she was even more interested in learning about the culture and lifestyle in Korea, right at the source. By learning multiple languages, Ragini hopes to “connect the world and create new bonds through communication.” She has connected with several other Borton Scholars in Yonsei since arriving. She writes, “One of my classes is a cinema class, and my friends and I are planning to travel to Busan for the Busan International Film Festival. I can't wait to explore more of this country and experience the culture firsthand!” Ragini believes that her year abroad in Korea will not only give her the opportunity to learn the language she loves but also a chance to grow into a citizen of the world.
Tzipporah Moehringer is a Biopsychology and Spanish double major from UC Santa Barbara who is studying abroad at Complutense University of Madrid for the 2022-23 academic year. Tzipporah grew up in San Diego, California and is eager to exchange the familiar setting of a beach town for the bustling, historic city and its completely different culture and way of life. Tzipporah’s first experience with Spanish in middle school made her passionate about learning the language. She looks forward to returning home from a year abroad not only fluent, but confident in her knowledge of the language and culture. Tzipporah is determined to pursue a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and work with Doctors Without Borders, performing cleft palate surgeries on patients in underrepresented Latin American countries. Tzipporah writes, “after my formal education is complete, I plan to establish a private practice in San Diego (where there is a large Hispanic population), so it will be important for me to be able to speak fluently with my Spanish-speaking patients in their native language.” Before traveling to Madrid, Tzipporah was able to connect with recent Borton Scholar Jonathan Sarabia, who gave her tips that helped her immensely with traveling and settling in. During her stay in Madrid, Tzipporah is excited to immerse herself in Spanish culture, build friendships with people she would not have otherwise met, and transform herself into a stronger, more independent young adult.
Updates on 2021-22 Borton Scholarship Recipients:
Rebeca Brambila (Italy, 2021-22) has returned to UCSD to finish her final year. She recently got a job at the UCSD Study Abroad office as a Global Educator and writes, “I love working here so far, encouraging students to study abroad, and working with great people in the office.” She has an apartment with a friend who studied abroad with her in Bologna and is also a senior studying International Business. She regularly sees fellow Borton Scholar Daniela Mendoza, who lives in the same apartment complex. Rebeca is trying to enjoy her final year of undergrad and get involved as much as possible. She just joined a Christian club on campus called Cru, and she tries to attend as many UCSD sports games as she can.
Daniela Mendoza (Italy, 2021-22) has returned to UCSD. She writes of her time in Italy that she is grateful for “the people I have shared these unforgettable experiences with, and that somehow I have managed to travel to eleven countries all within one year. I have all these memories and beautiful snapshots I have captured in my brain and have saved for a rainy day.”
Sophia Garrido (UK, 2021-22) has graduated and is pursuing a Masters degree in Diplomacy and Military Studies at Hawaii Pacific University. She has also received a soccer scholarship to play for the university’s team. During her time abroad she was able to travel all over Europe including Normandy, Athens, Paris, Florence, Rome, Germany (Berlin, Munich, and Nuremburg), Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Shellsea de Leon (France, 2021-22) returned to UCSD. She remembers fondly the culture shock she felt in Paris: “Simple things like crossing the street irrespective of whether or not the light is red to learning and experiencing that French people are more likely to be closed off to strangers.”
Jonathan Sarabia (Spain, 2021-22) has graduated from UCSD and is living in San Francisco. He writes, “Returning back to the States has been a mixed bag for me. I love being able to see my family and friends, but I miss the fantastic transportation system in Madrid. I miss just seeing the everyday people and culture.” Jonathan is looking into opportunities to return to Madrid to teach English.
Sophia Chang, who was chosen for a 2021-22 Borton scholarship and initially deferred, was forced to cancel her plans to study abroad in Japan again due to travel restrictions.
Updates on past Borton Scholars:
Megumi Kawamura (Japan, 2018-19) spent the summer traveling throughout Europe with two friends, working remotely during the entire trip. She writes, “It's actually fairly easy to work US hours in Europe because you can spend the whole day exploring and then work from 4pm - midnight. We covered a lot of ground, moving to a new city every 3-5 days. We went to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Portugal, South of France, Italy (Rome, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Genoa, Venice, Bologna, Milan), and Barcelona.” Megumi continues to work at the COVID testing company, Curative, moving this year from Customer Success to Communications. She is back in the Bay Area for the time being but hopes to either move back to San Diego or to New York in 2023.
Gio Castillo (Spain, 2017-18) has moved back to San Diego after completing the in-person portion of his Masters degree at Washington University in St. Louis. He successfully defended his thesis over the summer on preliminary data, and data collection is still ongoing for future publication. He is currently substitute teaching around the county while applying for a long-term position. Gio writes, “I’m hoping to land work in research support (hopefully at UCSD) as a research associate or research analyst. Fingers crossed!”
Emily Yeh (Japan, 2016-17) has returned to the US from Japan and is doing an MBA at Yale. She writes, “I decided to come to Yale for its unique focus on social impact and sustainability and my experience thus far has more than justified my decision. While people are looking to enter different industries, everyone has social impact and sustainability in mind and hopes to strike a balance between business and society.” Emily serves on the Sustainability Committee and the Tech and Society Committee at the Yale School of Management (SOM). She hopes to make Yale SOM’s food practices more sustainable, as well as bring to people’s attention the positive and negative impact of technology on humans. She writes, “I believe I have really grown roots in Japan during the past 5 years, and I plan on moving back to Tokyo again in 4-5 years or so.”
Sophie Osborn (Japan, 2016-17) is working in Washington DC for the Environmental Defense Fund as a Legislative Analyst. In her new role, she coordinates EDF's engagement in the Congressional appropriations process that sets the federal budget. She writes, “I'm learning a lot about clean energy policy and environmental justice!”
Justin Lim (South Korea, 2016-17) continues to work in a lab at MIT. He plans to stay in the role for another year before looking for a job at a biotech company.
Megan Bright (Germany, 2015-16) graduated from UC Berkeley School of Law in May. She is currently working at a legal services non-profit assisting low-income individuals and senior citizens access and maintain housing and public benefits. Her goal is to continue pursuing a career in civil rights and address the systemic issues marginalized communities face. She writes, “I am grateful every day for my time in Berlin. Just yesterday my colleague asked me about my study abroad experience as his daughter, who just started at UC Irvine, is considering studying abroad. I raved about UCEAP and how doable study abroad is especially with wonderful scholarships like the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship.”
Daniel Lee (Japan, 2015-16) is living in the Bay Area and active with an anime/video game orchestra again, resuming rehearsals and holding concerts. He has decided to take a break from work to spend more time with family and friends and travel with his family. He writes, “Now that Japan is open to travelers, I plan on visiting in the near future, to meet the friends I've made there and do more traveling.”
Austin Pukasamsombut (Japan, 2014-15) is currently living in Orange County, working for a video game development company called Cryptic Studios. He writes, “It has been a long time since my experience studying abroad, but it still has impacted me greatly in giving me the confidence and motivation to continue in pursuing my passions.” He enjoys working in video games, and spends every day expanding his expertise in the field. He also continues to keep in contact with “many of the great friends that I met while studying abroad, and they still remain an indispensable part of my life. We all plan to go visit Japan again together soon.”
Tamar Freeland (Spain, 2010-11) is living in Sacramento working as a high school Spanish teacher. She reports that distance learning was terrible for the students, and she is still seeing the effects. She writes, “The kids are so behind academically, they have no patience, they are more immature and disrespectful than before, they are constantly on their phones and distracted on the computer (all students have a laptop now), and when things get tough, they are just throwing in the towel. Not all of them of course, but as a general trend.” She spent six weeks over the summer backpacking in Mexico, visiting Sayulita, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, La Huasteca Potosina, CDMX, Oaxaca, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Palqunque, Bacalar, and Cancún. Tamar has applied for a Fulbright Scholarship to work as an English Teaching Assistant in Brazil for the 2024 school year. She writes, “I won't find out until June if I am accepted, but I'm excited by the chance to move there and finally polish up my Portuguese!”
Yoshie Yamamoto (Japan, 2010-11) recently switched over from Stanford's adult oncology department to the post-partum maternity department at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital side of Stanford. She writes, “It has been a refreshing experience to learn about maternal and neonatal health and fun to work with adorable newborns, some smaller than the size of my seven-pound Chihuahua.” She is fascinated by the world of breastfeeding and amazed by what the human body is capable of, including how mothers automatically produce antibodies which are transferred to the baby through the breast milk to ward off infections. Yoshie is planning to study to receive a certification in lactation consultation soon.
Hannah Rahimi (Spain, 2009-10) has two children and is teaching Spanish. She writes, “Sebastian is almost three and acting like he's thirteen, Josephine is seven months old and just starting to scoot around (mostly backwards still). I'm still teaching Spanish at the same school, but only three days a week so I can care for the kids the other two days. It's a pretty sweet balance and I'm very grateful that it was an option for us this year.”
Kipp Trieu (France, 2008-09) is Assistant Head of Lower School and Curriculum Coordinator at Keys School in Palo Alto. Recently, he presented a professional development session for all faculty around supporting emergent bilingual learners in a culturally-responsive manner, an area of passion sparked and made possible by his time abroad. Outside of lower school and doctor school (one more year, fingers crossed), Kipp has been fostering a rescue cat named Mushu.
Nicola Hil (France, 2007-08) and her husband Amaury welcomed their son Milo Sebastian to the world in April and then moved to Casablanca, Morocco where they both work for the U.S. State Department. Nicola loves speaking French daily after studying abroad in France 15 years ago!
Alice Wagner Robertson (Scotland, 2004-05) writes, “When I started my study abroad year in Scotland, I quickly noticed how the people in the community and at the University of Edinburgh all had different ways of speaking English. For a few months, I felt timid and less confident in my surroundings. Perhaps due to my musically trained ears, I unintentionally adapted my accent to the point that one of my roommates forgot I was an American! Since this experience I have become increasingly interested in how people express themselves verbally, and how language and accent can create both community and disparate identities. I hope to someday apply this understanding to build bridges between conflicting communities in the United States. Maybe someday I'll get a Ph.D., but for now I'm raising 2 kids alongside a supportive husband.”
Jonathan Wang (Japan, 2003-04) is heading a Product team at TikTok, having just crossed two years at the company. He writes, “It seems like a lifetime ago that I was abroad in Japan, yet that year still rings clearly as the best of my life. I grew more in that year than in any other, and my appreciation of that opportunity has in fact inspired me to request a year-long assignment abroad to Singapore, from where I am sending this update. So as always, I cannot overemphasize how important prolonged exposure to other cultures can be to a person's outlook and life. For students who are living abroad or alone for the first time, the first few months before and during can seem daunting—but take it from me: opportunities like these do not come easily, and some may never come again. Congratulations to everyone who has taken this leap.”
Brian Israel (England, 2003-04) recently joined the Anthropic, a San Francisco-based Public Benefit Corporation working on the safety of artificial intelligence systems, as General Counsel, after serving for two years as NASA's Associate General Counsel for International Law. He writes, “13 years after we moved to DC ‘for a few years,’ we're hoping to move home to the Bay Area this summer.”
Ellen Holloway (Spain, 2001-02) recently changed jobs and is now working for the California Department of Social Services in their community care licensing division. She writes, “I like it so far!”
Thanks to all of you who enable us to support the efforts of these remarkable young people to become world citizens and in doing so honor and remember Chris,
