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Language Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities are available for CSB/SJU majors in German, French, and Chinese. Applicants must show a commitment

The Otmar Drekonja German Cultural Studies Scholarship

The German Studies Program of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University invites applications to the Otmar Drekonja German Cultural Studies Scholarship. This scholarship was initiated by former students of Dr. Drekonja who are seeking in this way to celebrate and prolong his legacy of international education.

Promising undergraduate students of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict who have demonstrated a commitment to German Studies in keeping with the enthusiasm of Otmar Drekonja are eligible to apply for this scholarship.Eligibility is restricted to those who have been admitted or definitely planning to apply to the major in German and who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of 2011.

The scholarship will be awarded according to the following criteria:

  1. Demonstrated commitment to German Studies including curricular and extra-curricular activities.
  2. Aspirations for using German in the future for teaching, graduate studies, or other professional activity in the field of German.
  3. If candidates are equal, financial need will be taken into consideration.

The amount of the scholarship for this year is $2,090.

Please apply to the Otmar Drekonja Scholarship Committee as follows:

  1. Submit a current transcript of studies.
  2. Draft a one-page curriculum vitae, including German-related activities and experiences (in English)
  3. Write a formal letter of application describing present involvement in German-Austrian-Swiss study and activities as well as future aspirations, goals, and commitments (300 words, in German).

Applications must be submitted electronically via email attachment to mniedenfuer@csbsju.edu. Selection is made by a committee of faculty members of the German Studies Section of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. Deadline for submitting completed applications is Friday, March 25, 2011 at 4 pm. Late submissions will not be accepted. Recipients will be notified by mid-April.

Biographical Sketch of Professor Otmar Drekonja

Otmar Drekonja was a Fulbright grantee at Kent State University during the 1962-63 academic year and initially taught at Saint John’s during the 1963-64 academic year. After returning to Austria, he was recruited by Saint John’s to teach full time, beginning in 1967; his distinguished teaching career in the Department of Foreign Languages spanned 35 years. He sparked renewed interest in German studies, teaching all levels in the department and inspiring students by his own intensely obvious love of German and Austrian literature and culture. A native of the Austrian Lesach Valley, Dr. Drekonja also threw his incomparable energy into directing some fifteen groups, more than 200 students, on study abroad programs in Central Europe, including many semesters of the Salzburg Study Abroad Program which he himself founded in 1977. Dr. Drekonja’s contacts and keen interest in the former East Germany also allowed students of Saint John’s and Saint Benedict’s to study abroad behind the Iron Curtain and enabled many East German writers and scholars to travel to Minnesota. Inside and outside the classroom, during the college years and beyond, Professor Drekonja’s untiring and enthusiastic efforts to open his students’ eyes to a wider world have led many of them to careers and relationships involving international cultural exchange. His distinguished teaching career resonates in the personal and professional lives of generations of students.

The Sister Margretta Nathe Scholarship for German

The German Department of the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University cordially invites you to apply for the Sister Margretta Nathe Scholarship. The scholarship has been established to support the study of German at the College of St. Benedict. Eligibility for the scholarship is limited to students of the College of St. Benedict who have been admitted to (or at minimum, applied for) a major in German and who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of 2011. The scholarship will be awarded according to the following criteria, in order of importance:

  1. Academic distinction, particularly in German
  2. Financial need, as determined by standard procedures of the college
  3. Commitment to the teaching of German, to graduate studies, or to other professional activity within the field of German (to be used as tie-breaker).

Amounts vary from year to year. The amount available this year is over $5,000.

Please apply to the S. Margretta Nathe Scholarship Committee as follows:

1. Submit a current transcript of studies.
2. Draft a one-page curriculum vitae, including German-related activities and experiences (in English)
3. Write a formal letter of application describing present involvement in German-Austrian-Swiss study and activities as well as future aspirations, goals, and commitments (300 words, in German).

Applications are accepted electronically via email attachment only to mniedenfuer@csbsju.edu. Deadline for submitting completed applications is Friday, March 25, 2011 at 4 pm. Late submissions will not be accepted. Recipients will be notified by mid-April. NOTE: CSB applicants to the Otmar Drekonja Scholarship may also apply to the Nathe Scholarship.

The Dr. & Mrs. Joseph B. Gaida & Family Scholarship for French

French majors enrolled at the College of Saint Benedict who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of 2011 are invited to apply for the Dr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Gaida and Family French Scholarship for the academic year 2011/2012. Recipients will be chosen on the basis of scholarship, strength of academic purpose, and financial need (determined by consultation with the Financial Aid Office).

The scholarship amount varies from year to year. The amount available this year is $2,163.

Applications are to be submitted electronically by email attachment only to mniedenfuer@csbsju.edu with the following:

1. A letter to the Gaida French Scholarship Committee stating your academic purpose (approximately one page, in English).
2. Include with the letter a one-page Vita in French, which is a short resume highlighting your past activities pertinent to your French studies.
3. Write a one-page essay in French explaining your studies up to this point, your plans for further study of French, and how you see French studies continuing to be meaningful in your future professional goals.
4. Include an unofficial copy of your transcripts.

Application deadline is Friday, March 25, 2011 at 4 pm. Late submissions will not be accepted. Selection is made by a committee of faculty members from the French Section of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. Recipients will be notified by mid-April.

The Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Wang and Sister Telan Hu, O.S.B. Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship was established by Margaret Man-Hwa Wang in memory of her parents, Mr. Jung-Chun Wang and Mrs. Jui-Chin Liao Wang, who during their lifetime had contributed much effort to helping needy and promising students by providing scholarship funds to numerous high schools and colleges around the island of Taiwan through the J.C. Wang Foundation. Inspired by Sister Telan Hu, O.S.B., who has devoted almost all her life introducing Asian Culture to the students in the West, namely at the College of St. Benedict, Margaret thought it an excellent idea to extend her parents’ philanthropy abroad by establishing this scholarship. This scholarship was established to celebrate Sister Telan’s Golden Jubilee (50 years as a sister) on July 2005.

Scholarship Purpose: To assist students with a major or minor in Asian Studies with a concentration in Chinese culture who will ultimately help cultivate and strengthen friendly relations between the people of China and the United States.

Preference for the scholarship is given to the following students:
1) A student who is an Asian Studies major or minor with a concentration in Chinese Studies and
a) is a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
b) is a junior or senior in college
c) has taken at least 8 credits of Mandarin Chinese language
d) has at least a 3.5 GPA
e) is dedicated to the pursuit of interest that will strengthen friendly relations between the U.S. and China
f) preference to a student with financial need

2) If no student meets the above criteria, preference should be given to a student who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has a GPA of 3.5 and has shown a dedication to the pursuit of interests that will strengthen friendly relations between China and the U.S. Such interests could include:
a) A student with an Asian Studies minor;
b) A student who has completed at least 8 credits of Mandarain Chinese language
c) A student who has traveled abroad to China.

3) If there are no students from the College of St. Benedict who qualify under number 1 or 2, the scholarship should be awarded to a student from St. John’s University who meets the criteria under 1 or 2 above.

4) If there are no students who qualify for the above, the scholarship should be awarded to a College of St. Benedict American Asian student who has completed at least one year of study at CSB, has a 3.5 grade point average and who manifests the spirit of service.

The amount available this year is $1,713.

If you have questions about any of these scholarships, please email Mary Niedenfuer or phone 363-5067.