Congratulations
Study Florida 2023 - 2024
Scholarship Winners!
After reviewing many excellent applications, we present our secondary school, undergraduate, and graduate finalists. Study Florida, in collaboration with Florida Association of International Educators (FAIE), offers annual scholarships to international students studying in Florida.
Contact us for more information: scholarship@studyflorida.net
See our YouTube playlist for Thea, Cristal, and Sanjeeb’s videos.
Current Scholarship Recipients
2023-2024 Undergraduate Winner | Cristal Wu
Country: Belize
Enrolled: University of South Florida, Tampa
Major: Civil Engineering
Bio: When I applied to the University of South Florida in 2020, I originally applied to be in the mechanical engineering program. Unfortunately, due to financial instability, I had to defer my admission. My decision to take a year off changed my mission and brought light to new goals I want to achieve in life. I used my year off to travel within Belize, visiting the dams on the Macal River that pass through my hometown, Santa Elena. These dams provide hydroelectric power, which allows us to lessen our carbon footprint. However, there is no set plan to remediate the damage done to the environment. In 2019, it was reported that there was an increase in mercury levels in the Macal River. It was advised that the fish were unsafe for consumption, and the river was dangerous to swim in. It saddened me to see that the river that I grew up swimming in and have so many great memories of is no longer safe. I want to change that so my kids can enjoy the Belize I had and loved growing up. I aim to figure out how to fix this problem by finding a balance between technology and the environment. Seeing everything happening in Belize, I decided to switch my major to civil engineering, hoping to make a real and substantial change. I thought about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to help my home, and everything pointed to civil engineering.
I plan to build a non-profit organization that will focus on helping young Belizeans achieve higher education. I will help students prepare for their education, and most importantly, I hope to inspire young individuals to pursue a degree in STEM. As a first-generation college student, I feel compelled to help those in the same situation I was in, struggling to find resources. I took all the opportunities I could to be where I am now. I want to advise students on programs that can help them succeed, universities with good policies on tuition for Caribbean students, and especially how Belizean students can fund their education.
I am very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at USF. I am learning so much and I believe the material I am learning in class will help me sustainably develop our country when I return home. I hope that while inspiring students to pursue higher education, I can help build more schools, first at the primary, secondary, and eventually university level. This will allow our bright minds to achieve their degree in Belize and stay in Belize!
I am investing in myself now, so I can invest in my country in the future!
2023-2024 Graduate Winner | Sanjeeb Poudel
Country: Nepal
Enrolled: Florida State University, Tallahassee
Major: Computational Science
Bio: Sanjeeb joined the Department of Scientific Computing at Florida State University in Fall 2021. Using the university’s resources, he embraced the opportunity to integrate the domains of applied mathematics, physics, and computer science. Having these faculty and resources had been Sanjeeb’s goal since his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering, when he’d developed a keen interest in using computer modeling to simulate physical phenomena. Moving to a country with a different culture and being surrounded by unfamiliar faces is challenging on its own; doing so in the midst of a pandemic is even more difficult. When the world was struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, Sanjeeb was the only Ph.D. student to join the department, but, with the guidance of everyone at Florida State, Sanjeeb was able not only to survive but to thrive. Despite the gravity of the situation, he found the transition surprisingly smooth thanks to the support of his colleagues, the exceptionally helpful staff, and the approachable faculty, all who helped him excel at undertaking the research of which he had always dreamed.
Sanjeeb is a graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate courses. For him, helping students with their problems and discussing new ideas is always engaging and inspiring for his own research. In that regard, the support from the department has been phenomenal in helping him to publish papers and present his research, allowing him to participate fully in the field of scientific computing. In terms of his career, Sanjeeb believes the skills and connections he’s developing at the university are immeasurable in their value to his future. Inspired by the professionalism of his professors and the success he’s had at Florida State, Sanjeeb aspires to continue on his journey of learning and enhancing his skills, with the ultimate goal of sharing his expertise with others through teaching and participating in cutting-edge research. For any international student considering the U.S. for their higher education studies, Sanjeeb encouraged them to consider the Sunshine State and all the social, academic, and professional support it has to offer!
2023-2024 Secondary School Winner | Thea Matter
Country: Slovakia
Graduated: Saint Edward’s School, Vero Beach
Enrolled: The University of Tampa
Bio: My name is Thea Matter and I am a freshman at The University of Tampa. I am majoring in Chemistry on a Pre-Medical track. I grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia, and first came to the US as an international student in 2019 for my freshman year of high school. During the coronavirus pandemic, I returned to Slovakia but in 2022, I came to the US again. For my senior year, I transferred to Saint Edward’s School, where I graduated from.
Throughout my time spent in the US, I overcame many challenges, learned new skills, and had the chance to be part of many different activities. I participated in numerous volunteer organizations that helped the environment, underprivileged students, and sheltered animals. In school, I led the youth Chess Club and was part of the Cheerleading Team. Because of my passion for science, I conducted and presented a broad research on the scientific and ethical principles of animal testing during my sophomore year of high school. Alongside these activities, I expressed my interest in music and performing arts. I took ballet classes and attended a music conservatory besides my regular high school to take music theory and harp lessons.
I truly believe that studying abroad in Florida is a life-changing experience. It can be difficult sometimes because of how different it is compared to my home country, but at the end of the day, these differences embrace who I am and help me to improve academically and personally. I am excited to continue my studies in Florida and become a part of the medical world.
Past Scholarship Recipients
2022-2023 Graduate Winner | Lena Siemers
Pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at the University of West Florida , Pensacola
Home Country: Germany
My name is Lena Siemers, and I have been an international student for almost six years in the United States. Throughout the past, I have also lived for four years in France, Toulouse. I graduated in 2020 with a double major in foreign languages (French and Spanish) and international studies from the University of South Alabama. I began my graduate studies in May of 2021 at the University of West Florida (UWF), where I am pursuing a Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Affairs with a concentration in diplomacy and security studies within the Reubin O’D Askew Department of Government. Before starting my graduate program, I participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. I got selected as one out of almost 80 participants to present my research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). In addition, I worked as a Virtual (Online) Research Assistant at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. I assisted in researching ongoing Venezuelan migratory and refugee flows to Ecuador. Simultaneously, I also interned with Michigan Justice Advocacy, a non-profit criminal justice organization, through which I conducted background research on criminal justice systems abroad.
During the first year of my program at UWF, I have received the opportunity to work as a Graduate Research Assistant for professors within the Reubin O’D Askew Department of Government. Through this assistantship, I researched American Politics and International Affairs. I received the possibility to assist as a Teaching Assistant in undergraduate classes, where I graded undergraduate discussions. In addition, I was also granted the opportunity to conduct research in conjunction with the military and the NSA.
My research interest focuses primarily on international and domestic migratory and refugee flows, but I am also interested in research on current issues.
I am multilingual and can speak fluently German, French, Spanish, and English. During the Fall, I participated for one month in an introductory Mandarin Class offered by the UWF international office in partnership with a university in Taiwan. In the future, I plan on learning more languages!
Watch Lena’s video here.
2022-2023 Undergraduate Winner | Grigorii Kosarev
Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Professions at Florida State University, Tallahassee
Home Country: Russia
Grigorii is a junior student at Florida State University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Clinical Professions. He moved from Russian Federation to Boston in L-2 status right before the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, so he directly experienced the effect of a total shutdown and subsequent isolation. Although he was enrolled in classes at Bunker Hill Community College, he has been separated from the community due to social restrictions.
In 2021, Grigorii transferred to Florida State University and anticipated joining the community that was already about to overcome most of the obstacles caused by the pandemic, but it turned out that the real challenges were still ahead. Once he got accepted to the college, it was clear that he had to receive an F-1 visa. However, this task turned out to be much more difficult than expected initially. Almost every embassy around the world stopped its service for international students, so it took Grigorii a lot of courage and energy to communicate with European officials and come up with suitable solutions, but, in return, it allowed him to develop unique skills and get confidence in his own power.
Lately, Grigorii mentioned that the politics of his home country caused a lot of frustration for many people around the globe, especially for the international student, whose friends and family got in danger and whose future became unpredictable. Fortunately, at that time Grigorii was in Florida, where he met a lot of like-minded peers, helpful mentors, got involved in volunteering, and found an on-campus job he enjoys. All of these changes helped him to cope with the stress as well as to make several impactful decisions. Moreover, he made new friends among locals as well as among international students who were willing to exchange ideas on various topics and support each other in any beginning.
Grigorii believes that the path of an international student is extremely challenging, especially nowadays. But, at the same time, it is also a rewarding one. The value of skills and connections you develop cannot be overestimated. Grigorii says that the way people treat him here, the amount opportunities and credibility he was provided with made him feel needed and empowered, so now he is willing to return this support and understanding that helped him a lot by serving the community as a medical professional.
Watch Grigorii’s video here.
2022-2023 Secondary School Winner | Jessica Strong
Bolles School Graduate attending the University of Florida, Gainesville
Home Country: Canada
Jessica is a freshman at the University of Florida and is majoring in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. She is also a student-athlete on the Swim Team. Jessica was born and raised on the west coast of Canada in Vancouver BC, until the end of her freshman year of high school. Jessica then moved to the USA to attend The Bolles School in Jacksonville Fl, for grades 10, 11 and 12 to pursue her passion for swimming. “It was an incredible opportunity to attend The Bolles School as it truly was a place of excellence in and out of the classroom, where everyone inspired each other to be their best”. She lived in the dorms with other international students where she gained a heightened sense of compassion for others.
Throughout her three years of school, Jessica was involved in a diverse group of activities/studies. She participated in the International Rotary Competition for public speaking, multi-media art classes, was a member of the “Futures Swimmer Club” raising money for underprivileged children to take swim lessons and was a member of the Bolles swim team. Jessica was an honours student during her three years at Bolles, an All American and an Athletic All American with Junior National Times. She was also co-captain of the swim team her senior year.
These new experiences helped boost her confidence and leadership skills. Jessica hopes to encourage other international students to study in Florida where they can make lifelong friendships and excel in their interests while living in a diverse and beautiful environment.
Watch Jessica’s video here.
2021-2022 Graduate Winner | Gaurav Harshe
Pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at Florida State University, Tallahassee
Home Country: India
Gaurav Harshe has been an international student for almost 5 years now and is currently a Master of Science (M.S.) student in the Higher Education program at Florida State University’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS). Over his first year in the program at FSU, he served in the capacity of the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Global Citizenship Certificate program at the Center for Global Engagement (CGE). Through the assistantship, he was able to advance the global and intercultural competence of almost 500+ students that he advised, mentored, and helped graduate. His research interests focus broadly on how international students, scholars, and community members are a part of the larger Higher Education Institutional system in the U.S., and what challenges and opportunities are being navigated by them.
While the virtual world made it difficult to connect with the Florida State community, he pursued different ways to engage culturally and create a sense of belonging. Taking folks in the ELPS department on a one-hour tour of India, he led the monthly World Travels Social Hour, educating and chatting about the many ways of life in India, and the many cultures that have learned to coexist. He also serves in the Social Justice and Inclusion Coordinator role at the Higher Education Students Association (HESA) where he strives to curate an equitable and inclusive community within the department and college. As a Presidential Intern for the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) - College Student Educators International, he is one of three individuals who assist the ACPA President Dr. Danielle Morgan Acosta selected to participate in a unique opportunity to advance the goals set forth by the association and the President. At the Congress of Graduate Students (COGS) at FSU, he serves as the International Student Advocate to improve and foster the welcoming environment of FSU towards graduate international students/scholars and the community.
Gaurav is multilingual and can fluently speak two South Asian Indic languages - Marathi (his mother tongue) and Hindi. He intends to learn Spanish and the American Sign Language, travel the world like a global nomad, and help build communities wherever he goes!
Watch Gaurav’s video here.
2021-2022 Undergraduate Winner | Dariya Alibi
Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the University of South Florida, Tampa
Home Country: Kazakhstan
Dariya is a sophomore at the University of South Florida, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. She is from Kazakhstan and it was her dream to study in the United States to have an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and obtain a high-quality education in Florida. Her enthusiasm and dedication to hard work helped her to achieve her goals. Through studying abroad she met lots of inspiring individuals who share similar values and with whom she made life-long friendships.
Dariya’s freshman and sophomore years of college have greatly impacted her life. She successfully completed the USF iBuddy program and served as a Social Chair for the USF Global Citizens Project Student Association (GCPSA). She is currently President of the GCPSA. It means a lot for her to be a part of these supportive organizations because it broadens her horizons in learning about different cultures and traditions. Through them, Dariya will help improve sustainability efforts in her community and take a personal pledge to be conscious of a more sustainable community.
Moreover, she is an EXPO and Events Chair of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), an active member of the Women in Computer Science and Engineering (WICSE), and a volunteer for the National Association of Engineering Student Councils (NAESC) Conference representing a liaison between the organization and students.
To find the right path in excelling in her studies and improve her knowledge about computer science she joined a mentoring program. Also, Dariya became a Computer Science and Engineering Ambassador at USF, and she is proud to be a part of the project, which creates a safe environment for current engineering students and supports them in their journey. She firmly
believes that by pursuing this career, she will make the world a better place and improve healthcare, robotics, and
computer science around the world.
The university experience has shaped Dariya into the person she is today and she wants to inspire future international students to pursue their careers and achieve their goals no matter what. “This experience has already taught me a whole lot, and I believe it is only the beginning,” Dariya concludes.
Watch Dariya’s video here.
2021-2022 Secondary School Winner | Thearika Phat
Bolles School Graduate attending the University of North Florida, Jacksonville
Home Country: Cambodia
Thearika is a freshman at the University of North Florida and is majoring in international studies. She was born and raised in Cambodia until the beginning of her freshman year in high school where she had the opportunity to study abroad in America. It has always been her dream to study in the States because of its diversity and vast opportunities. She just recently graduated from The Bolles School in Jacksonville.
Throughout her three years of high school in Florida, she has met many people from all around the world, experienced different cultures, and learned new skills. For instance, she has learned Spanish to foster an understanding of and connection with Latin America’s culture and traditions. She also becomes a member of the Spanish Honor Society. Similarly, due to her scholarship, service, leadership, and character, she was selected as a member of the alpha chapter of the National Honor Society. Likewise, she participated in art and dance classes which broadened her knowledge and appreciation for performing and visual art. She joined International Student Union in order to help connect international students to domestic students and promote cultural activities and global awareness at school. These new experiences helped boost her confidence and leadership skills. During her summer break, she managed to organize and raised money to buy school supplies for children in one of the provinces in Cambodia. Studying in Florida has shown her that everything is possible if one simply dares to take the first step to reach their goal.
Watch Thearika’s video here.
2020-2021 Graduate Winner | Erik Hoffmann
Institution: Saint Leo University, St. Leo
Hometown: Brisbane, Australia
Erik is a graduate student entering his second year in the Masters of Business Administration program, majoring in marketing at Saint Leo University. Over the years, Erik developed a passion for marketing, advertising, graphic/motion design and video editing. After completing a Bachelors in Applied Media & Film/Screen Production from 2008-2012 in Australia, it was a brief job in photo editing in 2013 for a surf company back in his home town of Brisbane, that set in stone his fascination with the creative world. In an effort to discover more about world history and politics, he travelled across the world from Cuba to Egypt, South Africa to the United Arab Emirates, and Iran to Canada, to name a few. It was during this time that he forged his understanding of not only what it means to be a citizen of a country, but as an immigrant coming to a new country. A supporter of social equality, financial fairness, and environmental preservation, he has been led by Saint Leo's core values; excellence, community, respect, personal development, responsible stewardship, and integrity.
His interest to move to the United States was a combination of the desire to better understand the cultural and social aspects of the country, along with his love of travel. In 2015, he decided to refocus his skills while traveling the U.S. through embarking on studying graphic design at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. During his time in college he was also inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, where he learned skills in leadership along with focusing on career development. In hopes of further extending his skillset, he began his M.B.A. in Florida from late 2019. It is a field he finds utterly rewarding from concept to creation! It was also through this very scholarship video, that he garnered the attention of the Saint Leo University marketing department, securing a graduate assistantship. Erik hopes to continue his academic and professional development with this great opportunity along with external internships along the way. Given how much the journey has changed him for the better, he has high hopes and confidence that is trajectory can only mean great things looking into the future.
2020-2021 Undergraduate Winner | Man-Chen Chen
Institution: Santa Fe College, Gainesville
Hometown: Yunlin, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Man-Chen is a sophomore at Santa Fe College. She is pursuing her Associate in Arts Degree with the major of Journalism and aims to transfer to the College of Journalism and Communications in University of Florida after graduating from Santa Fe College. Born and raised in Taiwan for the previous seventeen years, Man-Chen has always been very interested in different cultures and perspectives. Though studying abroad right after high school is a rare thing in Taiwanese culture, Man-Chen still decided to seize the chance to explore the United States, a country in which a combination of distinctive cultures and visions exists. And she has never once regretted her decision to take this challenge and study overseas.
Throughout Man-Chen's first year, she has accomplished a lot. For instance, in order to fulfill the goal to fully immerse herself in cultural diversity, she attended the International Student Cultural Association in Santa Fe. She participated in every culture-based event and interacted with students that come from all around the world. She eventually manages to serve as the President of the Association for Fall 2020. In addition to her pursue in broadening cultural horizon, she also strengthened multiple skills as a freshman. To begin with, she participated in an intramural speech contest focusing on global issues and won the fourth place. It not only helps her boost her confidence and public speaking skills in delivering her belief and opinions in a foreign language, it also enables her to get one step closer to mastering her major and her future career as a Journalist. Moreover, she was very fortunate to have the opportunity to join Florida International Leadership Conference (FILC) in January 2020. Man-Chen met a lot of outstanding international leaders from different parts of Florida and have learned a lot about developing leadership skills. Lastly, she was selected to serve as one of the student ambassadors representing Santa Fe College for Summer 2020. She has developed various professional skills through the ambassador program and grown with ten other selected ones. Within this one-year period of time, Man-Chen has grown into a better self with the resources and the environment that Florida State and Santa Fe College provide. She wishes that her experience can inspire future international students that there are unlimited possibilities that one could achieve in the course of their schooling in the United States.
2019-2020 Graduate Winner | Clarisse Halpern
Institution: Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Clarisse is a doctoral student entering her third year in the Curriculum and Instruction program at Florida Gulf Coast University. After a career in human resources consulting and recruiting, Clarisse says she came to the U.S. to broaden her perspectives on issues related to minority and international students, immigration, diversity, and inclusion. As a student, she has become active in research with faculty from the U.S., Turkey, Hungary, and China to improve the conditions of refugees, international students, and other immigrants, including literacy programs for immigrant families. As an international student herself, Clarisse is passionate about giving back to other international students in Florida and beyond. She has presented research on early childhood education for immigrant families at regional and international conferences, including the 2019 Chinese American Education Research and Development Association in Toronto, Canada. While maintaining a near-perfect GPA, Clarisse has served as an FGCU Eagle International Ambassador, contributed to several community service projects with the FGCU International Club, and observed and mentored teachers in FGCU's Lucas Center for Faculty Development. She also completed a six-month internship in the FGCU Office of International Services, mentoring and advising international students through acculturation in the U.S. When asked what it means to be an international student in Florida, Clarisse says: "being an international student has allowed me to translate my experience and perspectives into scholarly efforts in collaboration with faculty who, like me, are committed to improving the conditions of immigrants, refugees, and international students in the United States, as well as educating new teachers who will work toward inclusion, diversity, and multiculturalism."
2019-2020 Undergraduate Winner | Renata Gomes Martins
Institution: University of South Florida, Tampa
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Renata is a senior at the University of South Florida, Muma College of Business, pursuing a bachelor's degree in global business, with a concentration in marketing. As the daughter of parents who did not attend college, she made it her goal to make the best of every opportunity afforded to her from a young age. Renata's journey to the United States began on a volleyball court at the age of 8. Her talent and commitment to the sport eventually saw her recruited to Montverde Academy in Central Florida as a high school junior. From there, she attended Lake-Sumter State College in Leesburg, Florida, where she continued volleyball and even worked on campus to send money back home to Brazil when her father was laid off from his job. After earning her associate's degree, Renata was admitted to USF and received the Latin American and Caribbean Scholarship and a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship. While at USF, she has studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic and interned in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently President of the USF Global Citizens Project Student Association and co-founder of the Global Business Society. Through these initiatives, she has spoken to over 400 Brazilian children and teenagers about her journey and the important lessons she learned along the way. Her goal is to help make the world a better place by inspiring future generations to value educational opportunity. After graduating from USF, she plans to continue this work while pursuing an MBA. You can learn more about Renata by viewing her scholarship application video below and reading this article from USF.
Watch Renata’s video here.