KINGSTON, R.I. – June 20, 2024 – Thirty-eight members of the University of Rhode Island community – 34 students, two faculty members and two alumni – have been awarded 2024 Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellowships by the Rhode Island Foundation. 

The fellowships – collectively over $250,000 in grants – will allow the recipients to pursue foreign language immersion – many for a full academic year – in such countries as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Taiwan.

For Aimee Baguma that means spending an academic year in France, studying at Rennes 2 University – one of URI’s exchange partners – in the city of Rennes. Baguma, a student in URI’s International Studies and Diplomacy Program who is double-majoring in international studies and French, is looking forward to spending her junior year abroad to improve her language skills. Baguma moved from Lexington, Kentucky, to Rhode Island for her senior year of high school and entered URI as a Talent Development Scholar. She and her family had spent a few years in Rhode Island after they immigrated to the United States from the Congo when Baguma was 8, and she wanted to return and follow in the footsteps of her sister, who is a URI graduate. She is now readying herself for a new adventure.  

“I’m so excited about being surrounded all day by people speaking French,” said Baguma, who sees her stay there as an opportunity to build not only her skill-level, but also confidence in her ability to interact in the language. She credits Kathleen Maher, who is the director of URI’s Office of National Fellowships & Academic Opportunities, with encouraging her to pursue the fellowship. “Having the opportunity to do this and experience the culture is going to help me so much. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to afford it on my own,” she said.

Baguma will leave for Rennes in August and will focus on language classes her first semester. During her second semester, she hopes to expand to taking international relations and political science courses in French that will apply toward her ISD major requirements with the intention of pursuing her master’s degree as part of ISD’s accelerated program once she returns.

Also a native speaker of Swahili, Baguma ultimately hopes to enter the U.S. Foreign Service and sees her study abroad through the Demers program as a way to make herself more marketable as well as broaden the number of nations in which she could be placed as a Foreign Service officer.

“I want to be able to serve Americans abroad as a Foreign Service officer and French is spoken in so many places outside of France and is one of the United Nations’ official languages,” said Baguma. “This program is going to allow me to better develop my people skills, gain competency in a new language and give me the opportunity to serve more people and work in countries all over the world. I want to be that person in the front row and to be able to say, ‘If you need me, I’ll be there.’”

Adam Cioe, of Cranston, a Chinese Language Flagship student who is also majoring in political science and economics, will spend his capstone year studying at National Chengchi University in Taipei. This will be Cioe’s second trip to Taiwan after spending eight weeks last summer in Hsinchu, a smaller city on the coast, as part of an intensive summer immersion program. He is looking forward to spending the next 11 months in the capital city and having the opportunity to travel throughout Taiwan as well as exploring other parts of Asia.

“Throughout my language learning journey, I’ve always felt that to achieve that superior level of proficiency, you really need an extended immersion stay,” said Cioe. “Coming back from the summer program last year I had made great strides but to really make that jump to superior proficiency, I think spending my capstone year in Taiwan is going to play a huge part.”

Cioe applied to the Chinese Language Flagship Program at the start of his sophomore year after he had already arrived at URI. With political science and economics helping to set the stage his freshman year, he began to develop more of an interest in Chinese—initially trying to learn the language on his own. After a summer course in Chinese, he decided to join the program. It’s a decision he has no regrets over. 

“It feels like one of the most tight-knit academic communities within URI,” said Cioe. “I know all of my classmates, we’re good friends. Everything we experience, we more or less experience together as a group—so we’re very close.”

When he arrives in Taiwan, Cioe will dive into coursework in subjects such as history and media literacy – though not specifically language-focused, the classes will be in Chinese. During his second semester, he’ll work at an internship. His hope is to obtain an internship with the Institute for National Policy Research, Taiwan’s first private think tank, or a similar organization involved in policy research and development. While the reality of being in Taiwan for almost a year has not quite set in, Cioe is excited for what lies ahead.

He views his experience in the flagship program and studying abroad as a way to expand opportunity and develop connections that may help him in the future—potentially finding employment in Taiwan or with a U.S. employer with a policy-bent that would allow him to travel. He added, “Whatever the world looks like in 20 or 30 years, one constant is that China is going to continue to be an important piece in the future of global politics and the economy.”    

URI’s other 2024 Demers recipients include:

Katharine Aaronson of Exton, Pennsylvania, a double major in Spanish and ocean engineering and a member of the International Engineering Program, will spend the academic year in Spain.

Alexi Andresky of Stamford, Connecticut, a triple major in German, electrical engineering with a minor in applied math as well as a member of the International Engineering Program, will spend the academic year in Germany.

Ethan Carpio of Norwalk, Connecticut, a double major in German and mechanical engineering, will spend the academic year in Germany as a member of the International Engineering Program

Jia Yao Chen of West Warwick, a major in health studies and a member of the Chinese Flagship Program, will spend the academic year in Taiwan.

Patricia China of Johnston, a double major in international studies and diplomacy and Spanish, will spend the academic year in Spain.

Laura Colón Peña of Providence, a civil and environmental engineering and Spanish major and member of the International Engineering Program, will spend the academic year in Spain.

Jason Cultrera of Newington, Connecticut, a double major in chemical engineering and German and a member of the International Engineering Program, will spend the academic year in Spain.

Erika Danielson of Suffield, Connecticut, a triple major in international studies and diplomacy, economics and French, will spend the academic year in France.

Nicholas DeFranzo of East Granby, Connecticut, a member of the International Engineering Program who is majoring in mechanical engineering and Italian with a minor in nuclear engineering, will spend the academic year in Italy.

Brinik Erickson of South Kingstown, a member of the International Engineering Program who is majoring in mechanical engineering and French, will spend the academic year in France.

Cleo Hazen of Branford, Connecticut, a double major in biomedical engineering and French with a math minor, will spend a summer session and half of the academic year in France.

Alumnus Victor Hunt of Providence, currently in medical school at Brown University, will participate in a summer research fellowship in Costa Rica.  

Mason Jacob of Exeter, a student in both the International Engineering Program and the International Computer Science Program who is majoring in electrical engineering, computer science, applied mathematics and Spanish with a minor in physics, will spend the academic year in Spain.

James Joubert of Warwick, a member of the International Engineering Program who is a double major in chemical engineering and Spanish, will spend the academic year in Spain.

Ella Junge of Leeds, Maine, a member of the International Engineering Program with a double major in chemical engineering and German, will spend the academic year in Germany.

Erik Lagace of Canton Connecticut, a member of the International Engineering Program who is majoring biomedical engineering and Spanish, will spend the academic year studying in Spain.

Emily Lambrecht of Stratham, New Hampshire, a double major in English and Chinese and a member of the Honors Program, will spend the summer studying in Taiwan.

Anna Li of East Providence, a member of the Chinese Language Flagship and the International Engineering programs who is majoring in chemical engineering and Chinese, will spend the academic year studying in Taiwan.

URI Professor of Art Annu Palakunnathu Matthew of Providence will spend three weeks studying in Italy.

Bert Moklebust of Mahopac, New York, a member of the International Engineering Program who is majoring in chemical engineering and German and minoring in math, will spend the academic year in Germany.

Nathaniel Nichols of Johnston, a member of the International Computer Science Program who is majoring in computer science, German, philosophy and art, will spend the academic year in Germany.

Leslie Pineda Hernandez of Cranston, a student in the International Studies and Diplomacy Program who is also majoring in Italian and Spanish, will spend the academic year studying in Italy.

Meilin Quiroa Reyes of Central Falls, a member of the Chinese Flagship Program who is also majoring in biological sciences with minors in chemistry and leadership studies, will send the summer studying Chinese domestically at the Middlebury Language School in Vermont.

Nick Rockwell of Barrington, a finance major, will spend the summer studying in Germany.

Evan Ung of Johnston, a member of the International Computer Science Program who is majoring in computer science and global languages and area studies with a concentration in Japanese, will spend the academic year studying in Japan.

Stefanie Vining of Norwell, Massachusetts, a member of the International Engineering Program who is majoring in chemical engineering and French, will spend the academic year studying in France.

Kei Yuen of Cranston, a Chinese Language Flagship student who is also majoring in psychology, will spend the academic year studying in Taiwan.

Three other URI affiliated applicants have declined the award to pursue other plans. They are:

Patrycja Chrzanowska of Coventry, a double major in history and German and a student in the International Studies and Diplomacy program, was offered a fellowship to spend the academic year in Germany.

Franklin Cruz Jr. of Providence, a double major in civil engineering and Spanish and a member of the International Engineering Program, was offered a fellowship to spend the academic year in Spain.

URI Associate Professor of Marine Affairs Elizabeth Mendenhall was offered a summer fellowship in Puerto Rico.

The fund is named for longtime URI language faculty member Beatrice Demers, who left $4 million to the Rhode Island Foundation upon her death in 2007 to endow the fund, ensuring that others could carry on her passion for foreign languages. Since the program’s inception, about 270 URI community members have been named fellows–receiving approximately $2.9 million in combined grants.

The program is open to all Rhode Island residents and non-resident students who attend a Rhode Island college or university. Preference is given to URI applicants, including alumni, faculty and staff. URI students interested in applying should contact the Office of National Fellowship & Academic Opportunities.