Recent ECU Graduate Gives Back to University to Help Study Abroad Experiences

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ADA, OK (10/03/2018) Elsa Moseley is appreciative of the education she received at East Central University and has immediately shown it with the establishment of an International Studies Fund through the ECU Foundation, Inc.

Moseley, a native of Iowa City, Iowa and resident of Sulphur, Oklahoma, achieved her degree from ECU this past spring and recently left for China to participate in the "Princeton in Asia Fellowship" program in which she has the opportunity to teach English and international relations at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.

But before Moseley made her halfway around the world journey, she gave back to her alma mater in hopes of future students being able to study abroad, like she has, with assistance.

"My goal is to create a scholarship fund which enables ECU students to be able to study a language of their choice or intern somewhere, especially those who can't afford to do so," said Moseley. "The long-term goal is to provide 2-3 scholarships at $5,000-$10,000 for students, regardless of their major, to have the study abroad experience."

Moseley's study experiences have taken her on a brief trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia in May of 2015. She also represented ECU's Global Education Program while studying at ECU's sister-university in Limoges, France in 2016.

Through the U.S. Department of State, Moseley did a Virtual Student Federal Service

Internship last fall in which she corresponded with Russian high school teachers to design and implement teaching objectives for Russian high school students in the "Russia Access"

program - an extracurricular program to teach English to talented youth from low-income families.

As an ECU student, Moseley was a finalist for the George Nigh Award as the university's Top Senior for 2017-2018. She also had the chance to take a Fullbright Scholarship for 2018 in which she had the opportunity to teach English in South Korea, but because of timing conflicts opted to go with the "Princeton in Asia Fellowship' instead.

Moseley also served as president of ECU's Rotaract Club and was a representative for ECU's Student Senate. In 2016, she was named a Russian Scholar Laureate by the American Council of Teachers of Russian.

Significant funds are needed for those studying abroad such as traveling, housing, meals and visas. Moseley is hoping, through this, many of those costs can be offset. Her initial gift to the fund was $250.

"ECU is a great university. It gave me the tools I needed to excel. I'm giving back to help continue that legacy. It has led to the career path I'm taking now," Moseley said. "Being able to study abroad in the 21st Century and being able to adapt to different cultures is so important in today's world. This is not always cost-friendly. I'm hoping this scholarship is flexible enough that students can experience what they normally don't get to experience."

For more information on the International Studies Fund or other scholarships, contact the ECU Foundation, Inc. at 580-559-5611 or 580-559-5655 or go online to www.ecok.edu/donate/foundation-resources. To learn more about ECU's Global Education program contact Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya at 580-559-5293.

-ECU-