UA Honors Student Receives Boren Scholarship for International Study

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama Honors College student Caitlin Trotter was recently awarded a National Security Education Program Boren Scholarship to study Arabic in Morocco during the 2011-2012 academic year.

Trotter, a native of Huntsville, says she began her interest in learning Arabic and studying abroad in the Middle East after visiting her sister in Cairo, Egypt, in 2007.

“I was fascinated by the rich culture, the unique sights and the ancient history,” says Trotter.

As a recipient of a Boren Scholarship, Trotter will have the opportunity to study Arabic in her country of choice, Morocco.

“I chose to study in Morocco because I’m studying both Arabic and French, and both are spoken in Morocco.”

In addition to studying Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic, Trotter says she will also take history, religion and other types of classes such as “History of the Maghreb” and “Gender and Islam.”

Trotter will also have a service requirement to fulfill through the U.S. State Department after she graduates in 2013.

As an international relations major at UA, Trotter says she has always been interested in working for the state department.

“Lately I’ve been very interested in development so I’m leaning towards working for the U.S. Agency for International Development,” she says.

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for American undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their education.

Boren also focuses on geographic areas, languages and fields of study that are critical to national security, broadly defined and underrepresented in study abroad.

More than 900 undergraduate students applied this year for Boren Scholarships and 152 students were chosen as recipients.

Trotter is the second UA student to be chosen as a Boren Scholar. “This has been a record-setting year for UA and the Honors College!” says Dr. Fran Oneal, director of the international honors program.

Trotter says she is eager and excited to begin her studies in Morocco. “I’ll be living with a host family, which I anticipate to be an adjustment, but also very rewarding and educational.”