We are delighted to announce the Colorado European Union Center for Excellence/Frieda Sanidas Leason and Bernard V. Leason European Union Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will provide stipends for deserving college students from the Rocky Mountain West Network to participate in unique EU learning experiences.
Undergraduate and graduate students from our Rocky Mountain West Network Partners, University of Denver, University of New Mexico, University of Wyoming, and the University of Colorado are invited to apply for this $2500 scholarship intended to augment European Union studies. The application has seven components: Essay on life goals as they pertain to European Union studies, GPA documentation, Demonstration of need (documentation of institutional financial aid), Vision Statement, Interview, References, Identified Europe connection. To apply, please address the following seven components and submit by email to ceuce@colorado.edu with Leason Scholarship in the subject line:
- Essay
A brief description of yourself, i.e. where you come from, brief outline of schooling and what makes you interested in Europe and the concept of a United Europe? Do you believe, for example, that the EU as a concept and in practice is vital to the security and prosperity not only of Europe but also of the USA? Where do you hope European study will take you in terms of career, i.e. teaching, government, business? Do you perhaps have a European connection already, i.e. family or previous experience in Europe? How do you expect study in Europe will help you personally to expand interest here in the United States for the European Union and aid the ambitions of pro-EU leaders here and in Europe to stabilize and develop the idea of union? - GPA (academic performance, submit transcript)
Details of previous scholarships, if any, and how a grant would be used and how helpful it would be in enabling a particular academic or otherwise practical goal. In other words, to select students who otherwise might not have the resources for a stint in Europe. - Demonstration of need (Financial aid documentation)
- Vision (personal and self-perception)
- Interview (Candidates to be invited)
- Recommendation/Character reference (two references)
- Europe connection
Overall Applications will be assessed by:
- Intended long-term engagements with the European Union
- Interest in fostering what goals related to study of the European Union
- Commitment to studies in past, present and future
- Feeling/Passion essay tone for matters in the European Union
Awardee will be asked to write a Blog on their experience and/or deliver a presentation on resulting research conclusions.
This scholarship honors the longtime leadership of Colorado’s engagement with the European Union (EU) by Frieda Sanidas Leason and Bernard Leason. As a teenager from Belgium, Frieda was involved in international meetings of the European movement, prefiguring today’s EU. Fluent in Dutch, English, French and German, Frieda served as the Honorary Consul of France in Denver for 17 years and has been active in WorldDenver and other international and French organizations in Denver.
Bernard worked at Radio Free Europe (RFE) in Munich from 1951-1961. RFE broadcasts extensively covered the development of the “European” idea: the great hope of the people of East Europe was to reclaim their future by means of a united Europe. After RFE, Bernard worked for over 20 years as a newspaper correspondent in Germany, Eastern Europe, the USSR and London.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2022