UK Senior Receives DAAD Scholarship to Study in Germany
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 29, 2012) — University of Kentucky senior Victoria Smith has been awarded a DAAD Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. The scholarship will allow the business management senior to finish her undergraduate studies and do independent study in Germany this fall.
DAAD offers a wide range of funding opportunities for individuals and institutions in higher education. The program's primary goal is to facilitate transatlantic mobility to Germany for US and Canadian scholars. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis; the organization considers academic merit of the individual, feasibility and quality of candidate's proposal, and the impact of the applicant and application as a whole.
Smith's DAAD scholarship will cover up to 10 months of study in Germany from September to June 2013. The total scholarship includes a 6,500 Euro stipend payable; a study and research subsidy of 260 Euros; and a travel subsidy of 850 Euros. She will use the first four months' funding to conclude her undergraduate degree at WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar, Germany. Smith's final six months' funding will go toward an independent study as part of an internship in Germany.
Not a stranger to Germany or German culture, Smith previously studied at Freie Universitat in Berlin, Germany, the summer of 2011 through a German-American Fulbright Diversity Collaborative Scholarship available to UK students. Locally, she has interned with Aldi, a German discount supermarket chain with two locations in Lexington.
Smith is the daughter of James and Sue Smith, of Ashland, Ky. In addition to majoring in business management at UK, she is also pursuing a minor in international business. Outside the classroom, Smith has served as a James W. Stuckert Career Center Ambassador and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society. Prior to Aldi, she worked at the UK Office of International Affairs.
The DAAD Scholarship appears to be a perfect fit for Smith. "I love traveling and learning about different cultures, and I would like to work globally in the future," said the senior.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Smith plans to pursue a master's degree in international business in Germany.
Students interested in applying for the DAAD Scholarship may contact Pat Whitlow, director of the UK Office of External Scholarships, for more information. The Office of External Scholarships (OES), part of the Division of Undergraduate Education, assists current students and recent alumni in applying for scholarships and fellowships funded by sources outside the university. Specifically, OES helps students strengthen an application, develop a personal statement, practice for an interview and provides other preparation activities for the scholarship application process. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with Pat Whitlow well in advance of the scholarship deadline.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716 or whitney.hale@uky.edu
