ND student awarded competitive Freeman-ASIA scholarship for study abroad program in South Korea

This year, two Notre Dame students received a Freeman Award for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA), a national award that provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The needs-based funding aims to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses like airfare, local transportation, and basic living costs.

One of these recipients was Naomi Rescalvo Sanchez, a rising junior majoring in political science with a minor in civil and human rights, and potentially, an additional minor in data science. Naomi was awarded $5,000 to help fund her semester program, lifting the financial burden from the experience. “Notre Dame does a good job of funding a lot of costs while studying abroad, but other personal expenses like flights and visas are a large part of the expense. With the Freeman Scholarship, I don't have to worry about that anymore.”

Naomi will use her scholarship to study abroad in South Korea for Notre Dame’s Seoul program at Yonsei University. The decision for her was a practical one, as well as an academic one. She’s already done some traveling in Latin America—she’s been to Mexico to see family, and she visited Peru through the Pre-Experiencing the World Fellowship Program run by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs. The Seoul program gives her a chance to travel to Asia, a region she’d never been to, and as a political science major, she’s eager for the opportunity to experience the political climate in another country and widen her perspective.

“I’ve had a long interest in South Korea because of their low birth rate and the tensions they have politically with North Korea. I think they've risen in popularity as a touristy country too, but it's not quite as overcrowded.” Ultimately, she’s looking forward to stepping outside her comfort zone. “I'm really excited to be in a completely new area with a new culture and just grow as a person.”

As a recipient of the Freeman-ASIA Award, Naomi will also have to conduct a research project while in South Korea. She’s chosen to focus her research on shifting immigration policy and sentiments in the country. “With the declining birth rates and shrinking workforce, Korea has had to adjust its approach to immigration. I want to explore the shifting ideologies and observe how different generations have reacted to the change,” she shares. “Overall, I am excited to explore new perspectives and learn more about how opinions shift and transform.”

On campus, Naomi is involved in the Latinx Student Alliance, and she sits on the First-Gen student board. She also participated in the Student Policy Network’s Indiana Immigration Project. This summer, she’s interning with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. “I want to get more of an understanding of how grassroots organizations organize themselves and see what fields I can go into in the future.” Looking ahead, Naomi hopes to use her degree to pursue a career in civil and human rights.

To learn more about the Freeman-ASIA Award and how to apply, visit their website.