Taiwan 'ambassador'
Elana Borinsky is first UD student selected for Taiwan alliance ambassador program
11:12 a.m., March 10, 2015--Elana Borinsky became the first University of Delaware student to be selected for the Taiwan United States Alliance Ambassador Program (TUSA) in summer 2014.
Through a competitive selection process, the TUSA ambassador scholarship awards provide U.S. students the opportunity to study Mandarin Chinese and immerse themselves in Taiwanese culture for eight weeks during the summer.
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Students act as representatives of the U.S. during their time in Taiwan and, upon their return, serve as ambassadors of goodwill between the U.S. and Taiwan.
“Serving as an ambassador to Taiwan has been educational, inspiring and truly transformational,” Borinsky said. “I am extremely appreciative of this opportunity, and can’t wait to embark on my next journey to become a more engaged and global citizen of the world.”
An Honors Program student majoring in international business with a Chinese minor, Borinsky was an ideal candidate for TUSA.
Borinsky, who has been interested in Chinese language since high school, said she “finds Mandarin to be especially intriguing because of the different tones and beautiful characters.”
It was through Borinsky’s Chinese studies at UD that she learned of the TUSA opportunity, with a faculty member encouraging her to apply for the ambassador program.
Funded by the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the 2014 TUSA scholarship provided Borinsky with tuition, accommodations and four excursions during her time abroad.
Three UD partners -- the Institute for Global Studies, the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, and the Chinese program in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures -- funded Borinsky’s travel expenses, which were not covered by the scholarship.
Borinsky and 35 other U.S. students resided at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, where they participated in daily intensive Chinese language classes, cultural courses and activities, and interacted with local language partner volunteers.
During weekend excursions, the TUSA ambassadors visited Taipei, Hualien and Kaohsiung, seeing landmarks and UNESCO sites while interacting with local people. Students were able to further engage with the community by staying with Taiwanese host families for a weekend during their two-month stay.
Borinsky advises future applicants to “broaden your horizons as much as you can, go out of your comfort zone, and go somewhere different -- experience a culture completely unlike your own.”
She did just that while in Taiwan, exchanging information with a family that she met at a local flower shop. Throughout the summer their friendship grew as Borinsky tutored their 14-year-old daughter in English, and the family introduced her to local sites and traditional Taiwanese cuisine.
Borinsky’s powerful experience during the TUSA program has led her to serve on the organization’s global outreach team. She currently assists in recruiting 2015 U.S. ambassadors to Taiwan by sharing her own experience at U.S. colleges and universities.
The Taiwan Ministry of Education will provide 45 TUSA ambassador scholarships this coming summer. There is no prior knowledge of Chinese language required; UD students are encouraged to apply here by the March 31 deadline.
Article by Jessica Franzetti