Three Win Taiwan Scholarships

May 19, 2006
Contact: Andy Faught

Occidental College Class of 2006 graduates Aleksander Sedzielarz of Friedley, Minn., Stephan van der Mersch of Boulder, Colo., and Erin Winston of Evanston, Ill., have been awarded Taiwan Scholarships by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to pursue their studies at a Taiwanese university.

Each will receive a monthly stipend of $780 – the average salary of Taiwan’s new college graduates – for a year to study Chinese language at a chosen university. Winston – who will defer her scholarship until the 2007-08 academic year – and van der Mersch have both been accepted to National Sun Yat-sen University. At Occidental, van der Mersch majored in diplomacy and world affairs, while Winston earned her degree in anthropology. Sedzielarz, an English and comparative literary studies major, is awaiting word from National Taiwan Normal University. Additionally, the Taiwan Scholarships won by Sedzielarz and van der Mersch carry a monthly postgraduate stipend – about $940 – that will underwrite two years of additional study after the pair finish the first-year language program.

The purpose of the Taiwan Scholarship Program is to encourage promising students from abroad to increase their understanding of Taiwan’s development, cultural heritage, and customs. For the coming academic year, more than 500 scholarships were offered to students in 85 countries.