Walsh Launches Renacci Government Scholars Program

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2. Walsh Launches Renacci Government Scholars Program

What's New, 2013-10-11

Walsh University is pleased to announce the launch of the James B. Renacci Government Scholars Program. This unique scholarship and leadership program is designed to encourage the next generation of Americans to pursue a career in public service and is made possible through a personal gift from James Renacci.

As the first person in his family to graduate from college, Congressman Renacci values higher education. "For me, this is an opportunity to support the next generation of government leaders by helping to provide scholarships for academics and internships." Renacci, who is currently serving his second term representing the 16th Congressional District of Ohio, says he identifies deeply with the mission of Walsh University to educate leaders in service to others through a values-based education with an international perspective in the Judeo-Christian tradition. "I appreciate how the mission of Walsh and my Catholic faith intersect. The mission of Walsh empowers students to become leaders in service to the world," Renacci said.

Through this program, the student's within the Walsh University Government and Foreign Affairs major can apply for a scholarship for an internship or academics. For many students, the cost of pursuing internships can often be prohibitive. The funds from the Renacci Government Scholars program enables students to intern as public servants while residing in Washington D.C., or in a state capitol city-experiences they might not otherwise be able to afford.

For many young people, leaders such as Congressman James Renacci serve as a model of the importance of giving back to our community through service to the common good. "Engaging in government service requires a passion for serving the people and by understanding the role of government through internships and academics students can become involved and serve locally like I did," Congressman Renacci said.

The program will help to fund several initiatives within the Walsh University Government and Foreign Affairs major:

• Scholarship funds for 2 students per year. One scholarship will help underwrite a student internship in the area of Government and Foreign Affairs. The other fund will help underwrite tuition for a student enabling the student to focus on their coursework.


• Each year, the endowed program will feature two keynote presentations, one from a leader in Government and Foreign Affairs and the second from a leading government and foreign affairs scholar.


• In addition, the Renacci Government Scholars Program will sponsor the "All Politics is Local" conference offering any higher education student an opportunity to present original papers regarding domestic, international and philosophic areas of political science and international relations


• Each year, the Government and Foreign Affairs program hosts the Washington D.C. Experience trip where students meet with leaders in government, Walsh alumni, and engage in international and domestic policy briefings.


• Finally, the Congressional papers and archives of Congressman James Renacci will be housed at Walsh University.

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Source: Walsh

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A Guest of the Sultanate

Thomas Neil '14 got his wish, spending the summer immersed in the Arabic language and Omani history and culture.

As a guest of the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Education, Neil spent five days a week in immersive Arabic courses. His instructors included a Bedouin, who invited the class to his hometown and a camel race, and an Omani of Zanzibari origin. "My classes in Grinnell are more based around literature, which is fantastic, but this was a class built around current events, politics, and what was going on in the region while we were there," said Neil.

Each year, the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center in Washington D.C. awards scholarships to a group of Americans who travel to Oman and participate in the two-month-long program. Assistant Professor Mervat Youssef encouraged Neil to apply, knowing he wanted to travel to the Middle East and already had ties to Oman through a past language assistant.

When Neil started, he discovered another Grinnellian in the program - Laura Goffman '09, a doctoral candidate in history at Georgetown University. Unsurprisingly, he said, "We hit it off."

Everyone in the group knew some Arabic, he said, and many were more fluent than he was. Neil was majoring in German and political science at the time, and many of the others, including Goffman, specialized in Arabic and the region.

They took courses in Modern Standard Arabic, media Arabic, and the Omani dialect, with plenty of opportunities to practice as they traveled. "There was lots of forced down time with taxi drivers; that's where the real conversations came out," said Neil.

Omanis place emphasis on the family, he said, adding "You're never alone. You always have people over. You're always with friends; you're always with family. Americans were perceived as a far more individualistic culture."

His adventures included meeting several sheiks and a central bank economist, playing soccer with local youths, riding in an SUV alongside a camel race, and traveling the country.

The most beautiful spots?

• The Wadi Shab river valley: "The river valleys along the coast were absolutely stunning - out of a fantasy."


• Jebel Akhdar, the green mountain: "Old orchards, and unbelievable views. The day we spent at the green mountain was my favorite of the entire trip."

Neil said he's relishing his current course with Nizar Al-Seoudi, a new assistant professor of Arabic from Jordan.

He also plans to apply for a Fulbright scholarship in Oman. "I'd like to return to the south. The south is where our [past Arabic language] assistant, Ali, comes from. It's a different region culturally."

Source: Grinnell

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