Ricky Cieri ’17 was already a study abroad veteran before he decided to go abroad for his senior year. He had completed a summer abroad at the SU Madrid Center and a full semester at the SU Strasbourg Center. He represented his programs as a global ambassador and had passed on his passion for international education to prospective abroad students. Though he had already mastered three languages (French, Spanish, and Italian), the Modern Foreign Languages and International Relations major wanted to learn another – so he applied for the CET Brazilian Studies and Portuguese Language program, an SU World Partner. The program, located in São Paulo, Brazil, will be Cieri’s third abroad adventure, and this time, he will be away for an entire year.
In order to fund his year away, Cieri applied for the Boren Scholarship. Funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), Boren Awards for international study provide exceptional undergraduates the opportunity to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. Following their cultural immersion, scholars then agree to work in a qualifying national security position within the United States federal government for at least one year.
“During my first semester, I will take courses about Brazil and develop a proficiency in Portuguese,” Cieri told SU News. “In the second semester, I intend to enroll directly in the university in São Paulo, taking all my coursework in Portuguese.”
At SU Abroad, we are incredibly proud of Ricky’s achievements and are confident that he will do a great deal of good in the world when he graduates! You can read the rest of his interview with SU News here.