A strong interest in Brazil and a passion for helping others helped Criminal Justice major Holly Vanden Toorn become one of the first recipients of the GVSU Padnos International Scholarship.
Vanden Toorn, of Kentwood, will spend February to June 2001 in Fertaleza, Brazil participating in the program Brazil: Culture, Development, and Social Justice sponsored by the School of International Training.
This is such an amazing honor because the scholarship was so competitive, says Vanden Toorn. I still can't believe it!
GVSU's Barbara Padnos Scholarship for International Studies was established by Holland, Michigan businessman Stuart Padnos to honor of his late wife.
The Padnos scholarship has raised the profile of study abroad to a significant level, says Brenda Robinson, GVSU Dean of International Studies. It has also communicated to students and their families that GVSU values study abroad programs.
The International Affairs Office at Grand Valley State University is seeing increased interest in study abroad opportunities. Nearly 300 students enrolled in study abroad programs in the current academic year, a jump of more than 100 students from previous years. In addition to the Padnos Scholarships, the International Affairs Office currently offers summer programs in 16 countries and semester exchanges in seven countries.
To be considered for a Padnos Scholarship, each student submits an essay describing how an international experience will help his or her education and outlining a specific program of study.
Vanden Toorn will study social movements and organizations related to urban and rural development, human migration, poverty, street children, and human rights.
As a student of sociological and language studies, it is important to view life from many different perspectives and be able to adjust, adapt, and cultivate an appreciation for and understanding of each individual culture encountered, explains Vanden Toorn.
Growing up, Vanden Toorn was encouraged to root for the underdog and care for the less fortunate by her parents. This outlook has been reinforced through charity work she has done with children in Mexico.
I am interested in learning more about human rights in Brazil and the plight of street children, says Vanden Toorn.
During her eight weeks of studies, Vanden Toorn will stay with a Brazilian family; exposing her to everyday life and helping her learn routine and daily communications.
It will give me a chance to see how different individuals think, react, and speak about current and historical issues, explains Vanden Toorn.
While studying in Brazil, she also plans to participate in an intensive language study of Portuguese to expand her language skills. Along with her Criminal Justice major, Vanden Toorn is pursuing a minor in Spanish.
Vanden Toorn is required to complete an independent study project on her study abroad experience. She is interested in learning more about Brazil's prison system and its connection with human rights.
Vanden Toorn sees her study abroad experience benefiting her goal of pursuing graduate degrees in International Law and Latin American Studies at the University of Texas in Austin.
My ultimate goal is to be able to use my study abroad experience to the advantage of the Brazilian social movement and human rights legislation, Vanden Toorn explains.
