University of Tulsa international business and language junior Austin Boyington has received an INSIGHT Into Diversity Global Engagement Scholarship to further his studies abroad in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. Boyington was one of four recipients of the inaugural award, presented by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and INSIGHT Into Diversity. More than 50 students from public and private colleges and universities across the country applied for the scholarships, which were created to encourage study abroad and global engagement for underrepresented students. Preference was given to those who have not traveled or studied abroad previously.
“We are very proud of Austin’s accomplishments,” said Jacqueline Caldwell, TU vice president for diversity and engagement. “He is truly living the TU commitment as a student who is engaged not just locally, but also internationally. We commend Austin on this well-deserved honor and national recognition.”
Boyington is a TU Global Scholar, a program designed to engage students in global issues. “I’m really curious about the world in general, and the Global Scholars program was one of the things that drew me to TU,” he says.
This semester, Boyington traveled to Dakar, Senegal to study French and international business in a non-European Francophone culture. His classes focused on areas including development economics in West Africa and French for development studies. Boyington spent six days in a small, rural village with a Peace Corps volunteer to gain a comparative perspective on life in Dakar and in the countryside. “It’s just one of the many great experiences I had in Dakar, Senegal,” he says.