Senior wins Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

RELEASED: September 20, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—All roads may lead to Rome, but the greatest international journeys begin at Centre. The College has seen seven students named Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship winners within the past five years, the most recent of whom is Alex Brown '08, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Somerset, Ky.

The scholarship is most often awarded as a flat grant of $23,000 for one year of academic study in a foreign country.

Brown chose to apply after his study abroad experience with the Centre-in-Strasbourg program.

"I enjoyed exploring the new culture in which I found myself and escaping the familiarity of my small corner of the world, " Brown says. "I also applied because, although I'm a science major, I wanted to undertake graduate studies in fields other than science before possibly pursuing a career in medicine."

The application process wasn't a simple affair, says Brown, who cites Centre's Milton Reigelman, J. Rice Cowan Professor of English, as an "invaluable guide." After attending meetings as a guest with his hometown Rotary club in Somerset, Ky., Brown was invited to speak on his ambitions and desire to study abroad. Shortly after, he was assigned sponsors who led him through the rest of the process.

As for his destination, Brown is still awaiting confirmation, but his preferences are either Cambridge or King's College in England or Canterbury University in New Zealand.

"In either country, I'll be undertaking studies in the history and philosophy of science, examining science the way it examines the world."

The Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships program furthers international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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