UND NSPA Monthly Communiqué
May 2020, ISSUE 3
Taking Part in Competitive Scholarships and Internships
I write this during our 7th week of social distancing. COVID-19’s impact on national scholarship and internship applicants continues to grow. The impact has been particularly difficult for students offered opportunities, only to be denied them later. Students hoping to crown their senior year with a scholarship or internship experience suffered deeply. I am very proud of my NSPA students who offered words of comfort and hope to their peers.
I am delighted to introduce to you Cecelia Castleberry, our student of the month. She is one of my NSPA advisors who earned two national internship summer opportunities that were cancelled. She brings to us some guiding words through a video linked to this newsletter.
As I work with students competing on the national stage, I remind them that the true benefit of national scholarships comes not from winning, but the growth they experienced in taking part. The long hours writing and rewriting their essays and gathering documents for their application will continue to pay them benefits long after the memory of the application process has faded. This process focuses the mind by making clearer one’s purpose. As part of honoring those who put so much effort into their applications, the NSPA advisors hosted a national scholarship book party on April 29, 2020 to honor our UND students who applied for national scholarships this academic year.
Be well and have a good summer!
Yee Han Chu PhD MSSW
UND Academic Support and Fellowship Opportunities Coordinator
Ashly Hanna-2020 Udall Scholar
Ashly, a Hunkpapa Lakota from Standing Rock, is a two-time Udall Scholar. She is a McNair Scholar majoring in criminal justice and American Indian studies. Her professional goal is to earn a PhD in criminal justice to conduct research that examines challenges Native Americans face in the criminal justice system. She created One Step Forward through the Grand Forks Public School system. One Step Forward is a student-led mentorship opportunity for Native American high school students.
Merrick McMahon-2020 Udall Honorable Mention
Merrick, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, is a biology student with minors in chemistry and psychology with a professional health science emphasis. He is studying to become an oral maxillofacial surgeon for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to improve the quality and the number of available health care providers to Native Americans. He is a 2019 Cobell Scholar.
Student Spotlight: Cecelia Castleberry
I am a Mexican American who was born in Pullman, Washington. I spent most of my childhood in Mexico. Growing up in Mexico, I learned how to speak Spanish fluently. I returned to the United States, but I continued to visit Mexico every summer.
Many of my dreams stem from my time growing up in Mexico. I was exposed to contaminated drinking water and saw first hand how sick it made my relatives. My mother is an environmental and civil engineer and has always been interested in wastewater management. From her influence, I became interested in how to solve water-related ecological issues.
My family has always "chased the potato" here in the United States, so I have lived in many different states, including Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and Maryland. When living in all of these different places, I learned about problems that the United States faces when it comes to conserving bodies of water and the methods by which we protect people from aquatic bacteria.
While I was in high school, I discovered a flesh-eating bacteria by the name of Vibrio Vulnificus, which can live in fresh and brackish waters. Due to climate change, this bacteria and many others are infecting people in bodies of water that would usually be too cold. As masses of waters continue to warm up to the perfect temperature, bacteria will thrive. This growing problem landed me where I am today, in a molecular biology program with the intent to study these invisible killers and eliminate them. I will be a hit-man for waterborne disease. One day I will return to Mexico, and I hope to share the knowledge I have gained in the United States to conserve their rivers and lakes and protect mis paisanos. ¡Viva México!
Cecelia Castleberry, a McNair scholar majoring in Molecular & Integrative Biology, earned two 2020 NSF funded REU opportunities, one through Central Michigan University’s Great Lakes Research Experience for Undergraduates and another through University of Idaho's Program in Molecular and Organismal Evolution, that were cancelled due to COVID-19. Through her recent acceptance into the NSF funded UND US Masters Program, she will be able to intern this summer in the "Genes & the Environment: Research Experience for Undergraduates from Rural & Tribal Colleges" with Dr. Van Doze.
NSPA Book Party Update
More Scholarship & Internship Reminders
Knight Hennesy-Info Session
EVENT DETAILS
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Knight-Hennessy Scholars develops a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. Scholars receive full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford, including the JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, DMA, and PhD programs, as well as all joint- and dual-degrees. To register: https://apply.knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/register/UNorthDakota2020
Fulbright Scholarship
The Southeast Coalition for Engagement and Exchange in Nanotechnology Education (SCENE)--100% Virtual
Accelerated Nanotechnology Training for Undergraduate Students
TERM: July 6 – July 24, 2020
DEADLINE: June 1, 2020
• 3-wk live-streamed accelerated nanotechnology cleanroom training course • $2000 stipend • Mailed lab kits facilitate hands on activities • Culminating online Technical Conference • Professional development seminars
APPLY:
https://www.cneu.psu.edu/SCENE/
For assistance, contact UND.NSPA@UND.edu
Applying for National Scholarships and Internships this Fall 2020: Take a Class
HON: A & S 294 (Sec. 03) #8197
Non-HON: A & S 294 (Sec. 02) #8198
Earn funding for your research, creative projects, international opportunities, or the remainder of your education including graduate or professional degrees through nationally competitive scholarships. Participate in a classroom environment for guided assistance and peer support.
Yee Han Chu Phd MSSW
Email: yee.chu@und.edu
Website: https://und.edu/academics/national-scholarships/
Location: Columbia Hall, RM B307, 501 N. Columbia R. Stop 7187
Phone: (701)777-4436
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/108818960563786/posts/196605401785141/?d=n&substory_index=0