Scholar Stories

Going Places: Milken Scholars Research Africa and Asia with Program Support!

Written by Soniya Gurung, Haeeun (Blessing) Jee, Haesung Jee, Benjamin Sorkin | 01/27/2021

In 2012 Michael Milken introduced a world-revealing feature to the Milken Scholars Program: The Africa and Asia Stipend. As with all program features, this exciting development created another opportunity for Milken Scholars to expand their horizons with Program support. The impact it has made thus far has been tremendous.

The Gift of Giving: Milken Scholars Volunteer at Annual College Essay Workshop at A. Philip Randolph

Written by Felix Bulwa | 12/30/2020

Learning from Emergency Room Experts in Uganda

Published 11/04/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Nhi Ho | 11/04/2022

In February 2020, I participated in a month long global health rotation in Kampala, Uganda in order to learn how medicine is practiced in an under-resourced setting. Little did I know, the United States would also suffer from shortage of resources soon thereafter

Life Lessons from Uganda

Published 11/04/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Roy Kim | 11/04/2022

Being the only non-Ugandan in my entire community, I learned what it meant to look and feel different. Being invited into Salim’s, Kimani’s, and Simon’s homes showed me that I was welcome in a foreign country.

Womanhood in Morocco

Published 11/04/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Soniya Gurung | 11/04/2022

Geographically, Morocco is located in North Africa and has a Muslim majority population; hence, it begged the question of how the neighboring countries are also influencing the country’s treatment of women.

Health in Guinea, West Africa

Published 11/04/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Taylor Chavez | 11/04/2022

I traveled to Guinea, West Africa as a Public Health Educator to create collaborative solutions and discover inventive ways to help Guineans help themselves in order to improve public health.

Life in Ho Chi Minh

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Jamie Kim | 11/06/2022

I found living in Ho Chi Minh a great experience. The locals were always nice and helpful, even if my questions resorted to pointing to a bad Google translation. Since Ho Chi Minh was much bigger than I had thought, there was always something to do, to eat, to see, to learn.

Reflections from Abroad

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Joyce Wu | 11/06/2022

Although my time in China was cut short, my experience abroad in a country that seemed so foreign to me just a couple months ago has inspired me to pursue interests in urban planning. From pursuing further studies in urban planning, I hope to gain a more globalized perspective on the idea of community and how it relates to the physical organization of land.

Thai Youth Returning Home

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Justin Hogenauer | 11/06/2022

My overall trip to Thailand this summer [2019] was short but incredibly eye-opening as it gave me a special opportunity to become more in hone my Thai culture. It taught me to think as a global citizen and reminded me to value my unique story and where my family comes from. This experience allowed me to interact with other young minds and engage in a supportive setting that encouraged me to discover and advance my interests at a global level.

Diving Deeper into Life in China

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Karen Li | 11/06/2022

I was able to deeply immerse myself in Chinese culture, recognize the joys of communicating in a language that has taken me over ten years to learn, and form friendships with people from all corners of the world that I know will last a lifetime. I am sincerely thankful for Milken for funding a part of this trip.

A Glimpse Into Japan's Past

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Kofi Bulluck | 11/06/2022

The class taught me to avoid generalizations and monolithic perspectives of Japan, as Tokyo quickly came into stark contrast not only to rural Japan but also to other major cities in the nation. Through living in the city with a host family and having opportunities to explore Tokyo in addition to Hiroshima and Kyoto

Experiencing China and Malaysia through Social Impact Projects

Published 11/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Linda Chan | 11/06/2022

During the summer of 2020, not only did I learn more about China’s left-behind-children situation and music therapy, I also learned more about myself as a person and have also been challenged to find more opportunities to create social impact.