Hudson Institute Political Studies Summer Fellow
Connor Mojo, a Coastal Carolina University senior with a double major in political science and history, has received a Hudson Institute Political Studies Summer Fellowship. The fellowship, designed to broaden and deepen the understanding of public policy and American political principles, will be held in Washington, D.C., from June 17 to July 26.
“I feel greatly humbled and honored to receive such an incredible opportunity from the Hudson Institute,” said Mojo. “To study and discuss some of the fundamental questions of politics among the best scholars in the field is a truly indispensable experience – especially since I plan on entering a Ph.D. program in political theory after graduation. I cannot wait to get started.”
The program includes rigorous seminars led by master teachers on topics in political theory and public policy; a distinguished speaker series with leaders from government, business, journalism, the military, and the academy; policy workshops led by policy analysts and experienced government officials; and excursions to places of national and historical interest, allowing students to view politics through other lenses.
Click here for more information.
Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute Fellows
Two Coastal Carolina University rising seniors, Laura LaFave and Grey Thompson, were awarded a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship (PPIA JSI). They are the first CCU recipients of this prestigious fellowship.
This year, 150 PPIA JSI fellows were selected from 33 states, 94 universities, and 21 countries. The fellows attend an intensive six-week summer program designed to prepare them for success in graduate studies and careers in public service and leadership in the United States and abroad. Fellows complete their program at one of six PPIA partner campuses.
Read more here.
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Research Internships in Science and Engineering Recipient
Coastal Carolina University student Shawn McDonald will travel to Germany this summer as part of the DAAD RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) program.
DAAD RISE offers undergraduate students from North American, British, and Irish universities the opportunity to complete a summer research internship at top German universities and research institutions. Students are matched with a host university or institute according to their area of interest. German language is not required, as the working language is English. RISE Germany is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
For 12 weeks this summer, McDonald will conduct research at Hochschule Düsseldorf - University of Applied Sciences. He will work alongside a small group of Ph.D. students, researching AI-based optics in self-driving cars. McDonald will be one of two undergraduates on the team.
Read more here.
Fulbright-Hays Fellow
Johnny LaVecchia, a 2024 Coastal Carolina University graduate, was recently awarded a $7,000 Fulbright-Hays Fellowship for Advanced Overseas Chinese Language Study in Taiwan this summer. LaVecchia, who earned bachelor’s degrees in languages and intercultural studies and political science as well as a minor in Asian studies, is the first CCU student to receive this prestigious national scholarship. He is one of 15 students selected for the award this year.
LaVecchia has also been accepted into the Intensive Summer and Semester Language Program to study Mandarin in Taipei, Taiwan, this summer. This customized and rigorous program covers one academic year of language learning within eight weeks, which allows students to improve their proficiency on at least one American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages sub-level.
Read more here.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars
Coastal Carolina University students Rose Jackson and Charles “Alex” Wiggins, both in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, have been awarded the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
The Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to national security and economic prosperity. Awards range up to $5,000, with an additional $1,000 if students conduct STEM research and an additional $3,000 if they study a critical language as part of their experience.
Rose Jackson, a first-generation college student from Batesburg-Leesville, S.C., is a junior pursuing a major in finance and a minor in real estate. As a Gilman Scholar, she will participate in Business and Culture in Spain and Italy, a 2024 spring break study abroad program led by Jacob Voegel, Ph.D., associate professor, and Cari Borisuk, MBA, lecturer, of the Department of Management and Decision Sciences. Jackson will visit Madrid, Milan, and Modena and learn about the countries’ culture and business practices.
Charles "Alex" Wiggins, a Myrtle Beach native, is a senior pursuing a double major in accounting and finance and a double minor in applied mathematics and Chinese. He will graduate in December 2024. This summer, he will attend National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei to advance his Mandarin Chinese language skills and gain a deeper understanding of the Taiwanese culture.
Read more here.
Learn more about our past national scholarship recipients by clicking here.