Washington, February 19, 2019 - NAFSA: Association of International Educators is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) to create the NAFSA Tamara H. Bryant Memorial Scholarship. Funded by an endowment established by Tamara H. Bryant, this scholarship will create opportunities for African-American undergraduate students to study abroad and gain valuable experiences that will prepare them for the increasingly global environment into which they will graduate.
This scholarship is possible through the generosity of Tamara H. Bryant, a refugee from Burma (Myanmar) who travelled from her home country to India by foot during World War II before she eventually settled in the United States. Through her observations and experiences, Mrs. Bryant recognized the challenges faced by women in the workplace. With this understanding and a recognition of the power of international education, Mrs. Bryant founded an endowment with NAFSA to promote intercultural exchange through scholarships. NAFSA has pledged $90,000 from proceeds of the endowment to the FEA to fund multiple scholarships each year for African-American students who wish to study abroad and who embody Mrs. Bryant’s spirit of resilience and commitment to intercultural exchange.
“We are thrilled that with the help of our friends at FEA, NAFSA can help realize Tamara Bryant’s wish to foster intercultural exchange,” says NAFSA CEO and Executive Director Esther D. Brimmer.
This new partnership marks another opportunity for NAFSA and FEA to work together toward their shared goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in study abroad. “We are so grateful for our long-time collaboration with NAFSA,” said FEA Chair Martha Johnson. “This new scholarship supports FEA’s goals to be the premier foundation and partner for executing programs that promote diversity and inclusion in study abroad.”
The scholarships for African-American students represent the first step in implementing the Tamara H. Bryant Endowed Scholarship. Mrs. Bryant also included in her trust the provision of scholarships for graduate students from Burma (Myanmar) and East Asia to study in the United States. NAFSA is working to develop this next phase of the scholarship program.