PLS Alum Wins Scholarship to Germany

PLS alum Reggie Oates has won a significant scholarship for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program. For more information on the program, check out our earlier post.

Reggie has kindly provided the following information about the program and his experience in obtaining the award (note that he found out about the award from reading GV PS):

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program was set
up in 1983 between the United States and German Lower
Houses. It is currently being administered in America
through the United States State Department. This
program is a scholarship offered to American college
students that provides for a calendar year of study in
Germany. The program year includes time spent in
language school, a German university that varies
depending on course of study, and an internship in
your field of study.

I came across the description of the scholarship while
looking at the Grand Valley Political Science
Department blog (gvps.typepad.com). I was, at the
time, in the process of filling out several
applications for international study and decided to
take a chance. I finished the application with the
help of Prof. Darren Walhof (Political Science Dept.)
who wrote one of my recomendations and Prof. Donijo
Robbins (Public Administration Dept.) who helped me
with my application essays. In early January I was
notified that I was chosen for an interview. I
received help with interview as well as politics and
government structure by Prof. Heather Tafel (Political
Science Dept.).