Boren Scholars Grant Little and Katie Latham in Washington, D.C.

Rising juniors Skye Turner, Katie Latham, and Grant Little have begun their Boren activities! They attended a two-day convocation in Washington, D.C. in June, where they learned about the opportunities for Boren recipients who hope to work for the federal government. 

The first day focused on learning more about the Boren award and the service requirement. The students heard from speakers from various departments within the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They learned about the importance of knowing more than one language and being very articulate on a specific world region.

Boren Scholar Skye Turner in Washington, D.C.

On the second day, the students met with senators, representatives, and staffers from their home districts, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Congressman Gary Palmer. They spoke about the Boren award and discussed their study abroad plans for the upcoming year.

Skye says, “The convocation was great. It was really cool to learn about the different pathways we could go down after our time abroad. We also talked about how to make the most of our experiences. I also met some really awesome, diverse, and intelligent Boren recipients. I am so grateful for the opportunity and to be able to be counted among all these amazing students.”