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For those who don't know what the Light Fellowship is, you can go to their website (see above link) and read about them, but I'll also give a brief little summary. Its history is a pretty important component of the overall purpose of the program.
Dr. Richard U. Light
Way back in the day, circa 1930's, there was a Yale graduate named Richard Upjohn Light, and he did quite a few things with his life, but one of the most incredible (to me) is his expedition around the world to record (through pictures) cultures that were radically different from his own.
After doing a wide variety of things, Dr. Light came back to Yale and towards the end of his life created the Light Fellowship, because he believed, to quote the Light Foundation website:
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East Asia's growth [was] an opportunity for Yalies to bring
fresh perspectives and keener insights to their studies and to
their eventual leadership roles in government and society.
To accomplish such a goal, Dr. Light reasoned that students
should first gain foreign language ability while immersing
themselves abroad.
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It was with this idea in mind the Light Fellowship began fully funding students' language learning expeditions to China, Japan, and Korea.
Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg
Fast forward to 2006, one Hank Greenberg combined forces with the Light Fellowship Foundation to add even more funds to the Program through the Greenberg Yale-China Initiative. The Program was able to offer many more students an all-expenses-paid opportunity to study abroad in East Asia.
I'm particularly thankful for this because my fully-funded summer of intensive Chinese ended up coming out of the pocket of this Initiative.
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The Light Fellowship has been an incredible blessing in my life. Aside from the obvious benefit of attending a summer program in Beijing for free, I have also been amazed by the support and encouragement of the staff throughout the entire process. I can't explain the many, many ways that I have come to realize just how enriching my experience here in Beijing has been, and how much it has made me look at myself, my country, and my world from a whole new perspective. Thanks to the Light Fellowship for everything you have done for me this summer, and I hope that you will continue to be able to provide this incredibly unique opportunity for generations of Yalies to come.
"I need to make clear my eternal gratitude to the Richard U. Light Fellowship Program..."
ReplyDeleteWell, Marissa, you've clearly taken this opportunity and made so much out of it. Not least, you've kept a fantastic blog that I hope will continue to record the journey that brought that new perspective. =)