Nije’e Patton-Johns, a third-year Chaiken Scholar majoring in psychology with minors in Korean language, human development, and family studies, is one of six Penn State students who have received Gilman Scholarships, which offer up to $5,000 for undergraduates to study abroad.
The Sewell, New Jersey resident expressed how important this scholarship was to her and how hard she worked to earn it. Patton-Johns learnt about the award through CIEE’s study abroad program.
“I did research about it and didn’t want to apply at first because I thought it was too prestigious for me. The essay process was difficult because I was trying to perfect them on top of all my other work,” Patton-Johns said.
Patton-Johns visited the Writing Center at Penn State Learning to receive tutoring. According to her, the unique experience of learning she was a beneficiary is more memorable than the application procedure itself.
“I was having a long day, so I went to McDonald’s for a pick-me-up,” she said. “On the bus ride back home, I got an email from the Gilman Scholarship Program. It said I received the scholarship. I was freaking out on the bus because I was so proud of myself.”
Patton-Johns received this scholarship and proceeded to South Korea to study abroad at the end of February. She stated that while abroad, she intends to continue attending psychology studies and practicing Korean. She aims to someday become fluent.
She is most anxious to explore Korean culture while overseas, she stated. She is pleased to have the opportunity to study abroad and broaden her knowledge by learning about national values, customs, and the food scene.
“I always knew I wanted to study abroad,” Patton-Johns said. “I’m really interested in taking some Korean art history courses, and I’ve had my eye on a few psychology and intensive Korean courses.”
Patton-Johns has been teaching herself Korean since she was twelve years old, she claims. She learned to read and speak little sentences by watching online videos and taking small vocabulary courses.
“My mom worked at a nail shop in Philadelphia that was owned by two Korean women, so I was constantly surrounded by the K-dramas on the TVs,” Patton-Johns said. “I loved the culture and was always fascinated with it. I eventually got into K-pop and would watch Korean TV shows to help me practice.”
She explained that this is why she fell in love with the language and wanted to start taking classes in college.
Patton-Johns aspires to continue her studies in psychology after graduation. Her classes, notably PSYCH 105: Psychology as a Science and Profession, have helped her explore job opportunities in scientific psychology and shown her how much she can achieve with her psychology degree.
Patton-Johns attributes much of her success to the College of Liberal Arts and its “tremendous staff.” She stated that the people and programs at the college had enabled her to pursue her ambition of studying overseas.
Patton-Johns was recognized as a Chaiken Scholar in the College of the Liberal Arts for her high school academic achievements. As a Chaiken Scholar, she receives financial assistance as well as access to exclusive resources and activities for the Chaiken Scholar community. Chaiken Scholars can engage in the First-Year Chaiken Scholars Learning Community course, conducted by Patty Klug, director of the Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success.
“Patty Klug has been fantastic in explaining the many opportunities open to Chaiken Scholars. I was allowed to attend scholar parties and even went to the president’s house to chat with then-Penn State President [Eric] Barron,” Patton-Johns said. “The college provided a wealth of resources and was important in my success. I had no clue there were so many tools and financial options for students looking to study abroad, and thanks to the college, I haven’t had to pay anything out of pocket for travel.”
