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The Rice Thresher
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by Susan Abramski thresher staff
The fellowship is open to graduating seniors and pays $22,000 for a one-year sojourn outside of the United States, Executive Director of International Programs and Scholarships Mark Scheid said. During that time, the recipients carry out a proposed project. "It's kind of a 'Fantasy Island' of scholarships where they give you money to go do something that you really, really want to do, even though it may not have anything to do with your career interests," Scheid, who is also assistant to the president, said. Tidwell, who is majoring in history and environmental science and engineering, was notified of his award March 16. He plans to travel to impoverished or developing countries and study how they use tourism to preserve endangered species. "It's not just your typical ecotourism," Tidwell said. "If no tourists come to see these animals, and these tours no longer exist, outside pressures are going to destroy the habitat and/or the lives of these particular animals." Tidwell said he will travel to Uganda, where tourism centers on endangered mountain gorillas; to Costa Rica, which has a program for leatherback sea turtles; to South Africa, where shark-related tourism is prevalent; and to Kamchatka, Russia, where touring anglers support fish research. He originally selected Indonesia as a place of study, but because Indonesia is under U.S. Department of State travel warnings he is considering the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador instead. Tidwell said he became interested in endangered species when he worked at the U.S. National Forensics Laboratory for Wildlife his senior year in high school. He also said his love of the outdoors and his experiences researching the Great Barrier Reef and Australian rainforests have fueled his curiosity about his project. Pollak said she will perform a comparative study of the Jewish communities in Chile and Uruguay, spending six months living in the capitals of both countries and traveling throughout them. "I want to see how the Jewish people interact with the dominant community on a personal level," Pollak said. "Do people feel comfortable in their countries?" Pollak said she is interested in how the Chilean and Uruguayan Jewish communities handle some of the same issues that confront Jews in America. She views this as a way to unify two of her interests - Latin American culture and Jewish communities. "I've wanted to go to Latin America for a long time," Pollak said. "And I've always been interested in Jewish studies. This just seemed like the best way to combine the two." The Watson Fellowship is traditionally the most highly competitive scholarship among Rice students, Scheid said. "One of the things that makes it attractive to Rice students is [that] it does promise sort of a one-year road trip," Scheid said. "You have to leave the U.S. for a year. You may not enroll in any formal education." Scheid that except for death or medical emergencies involving oneself, one's parents, or one's siblings, fellows are not allowed to return to the United States during the year. Scheid said 23 Rice seniors applied to be nominated for the Watson Fellowship in October, and eight were selected for an interview with the Committee on Scholarships and Awards. Four of those were nominated to represent Rice in the national competition and were interviewed by the director of the Watson Foundation. About 190 students are nominated by institutions across the country and up to 60 can be selected to be fellows. Scheid said the committee looks for applicants who show leadership by doing things on their own. He said students' enthusiasm for their projects is evident in their applications. "The one thing that does come through in the essay and in the interviews is really the passion that they have for the project," Scheid said. "It's not enough that it be a really good idea, although Rice students have really good ideas." Scheid said it is important for students to have this type of opportunity which gives them the freedom to choose a path for themselves. "It's kind of a wild and crazy opportunity and a wonderful time. Especially since so many people at Rice go to professional school, graduate school and into professions that work them almost as hard as being an undergraduate at Rice, it's important to get a year and sit back and find out about other things in a very different way," Scheid said. Scheid said the scholarship provides students with an opportunity to learn about themselves in "a journey inward triggered by a journey outward." "It is a unique opportunity to explore the world in a self-guided way," Pollak said. "I am free to make my own decisions, I don't have to check in with anybody, don't have to turn in homework. At the same time, no one is there to help me, either. "I feel like it's a Mastercard commercial. Someone gives you a year of your life to own. Your boss doesn't own you. Your teachers don't own you. I just feel that it's priceless." Past projects by Rice Watson recipients have included: "An Engineer Looks at Theater," "The Interactions Between Indigenous People and Ecology in New Zealand and Thailand" and an exploration of fly fishing in South America.
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