Ly selected for Rangel Summer Program
Phillip Ly made sure setbacks would not define him. The winner of Gilman, Freeman Asia, Fund for Education Abroad, and Boren scholarships — some of them twice — kept striking out on getting to use those funds for a study abroad in Japan due to COVID-19. Yet the University of North Georgia (UNG) senior kept applying for major awards.
This spring, his determination was rewarded. Ly, a resident of Forest Park, Georgia, has been selected as a scholar for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program in Washington, D.C.
The program fully funds students to spend six weeks in the nation's capital learning from diplomats, Foreign Service officers, and others on Capitol Hill. Scholars also take two courses for credit from Howard University and attend a seminar on professional writing. Typically, only 15 students are selected each year from a nationwide pool of more than 800 applications.
I want to see how those professionals got where they are today so I can learn how to pursue the same path they did. I also want to learn more about the rhythm of their daily lives.
Phillip Ly
UNG senior pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies
Ly is a cadet and member of the Georgia Army National Guard who is on the UNG Military Scholarship (UNGMS) pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies. Each year, the state offers the UNGMS to 42 Georgia high school seniors who attend UNG, serve in the Georgia Army National Guard while in the Corps, and commission as second lieutenants in the Georgia Army National Guard after graduating with bachelor's degrees.
This summer he looks forward to hearing first-hand about the career he wants to pursue in the Foreign Service.
"I want to see how those professionals got where they are today so I can learn how to pursue the same path they did," Ly said. "I also want to learn more about the rhythm of their daily lives."
Ly praised the mentorship of Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) office, as well as Dr. Victoria Hightower, NCS assistant director and professor of history, in the application process.
Dr. Jonathan Beall, associate professor of history, is Ly's mentor and looks forward to seeing his student take advantage of the Rangel opportunity.
"From what I have observed in my classes, Phillip works hard, comes prepared for discussions and, as a result, he contributes. These are elements that he will need to do succeed in the Rangel Summer Program," Beall said. "The experience will help put him in a good position when he looks for employment in the larger international affairs field after he graduates."
The Rangel Program covers the costs for tuition, travel, housing, and two meals per day. It also provides a stipend of $3,300.
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