Nix, a Huntington native, is a double major in International Affairs and Japanese and the first student from Marshall University to win the scholarship.
In addition to taking classes at Marshall, Nix is a member of the Marshall University Japan Club and the INTO Conversation Partners program, and has been a past member of the Student Government Association and the Thundering Word Speech and Debate Team.
With the aid of the scholarship, she will spend her junior year studying Japanese in Japan at Kansai Gaidai while she completes classes in both of her majors.
The Boren Scholarship funds up to $20,000 for a full academic year towards study in a foreign country, and allows students to study less commonly taught languages in global regions critical to national security.
In addition to the scholarship funds, winners must agree to work for the federal government after graduation for at least one year. Nix intends to fulfill this requirement by working for the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer or diplomatic interpreter after graduation, extending her career in that area.
She was selected as one of around 160 winners from about 750-1000 applicants. The scholarship prioritizes students who are interested in longer programs of study, such as national security/government service, and who are studying languages and countries deemed critical to U.S. national security interests.
Throughout the fall and early winter, Nix worked with Marshall University’s Office of National Scholarships on her application.
For more information on the Boren Scholarship or other nationally competitive scholarships, please contact Mallory Carpenter at 304-696-2475 or at Mallory.carpenter@marshall.edu.