A trip to South Asia for language development and research will only add to the list of Jodi-Kaye Wade’s accomplishments.
Wade, 22, is the recipient of two prestigious awards, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) and the Boren Fellowship.
The Florida A&M School of Business and Industry student will conduct a year-long research funded by the National Security Education program through the fellowship, studying Bengali/Bangla in Bangladesh and sponsored by CLS.
For Wade, the CLS is only a small step toward achieving her long-term career goal to work with the U.S. government in areas of diplomacy and development. She credits her success to education she received at FAMU.
“Solving global problems such as climate change and environmental issues was a major issue for countries like Bangladesh. They are dealing with solving their growing energy problem,” Wade said, referring to the country’s technological focus. “The demand of energy grows daily and international cooperation is critical.”
The trip to Asia will help her learn a new language, learn about solar energy technology and gain knowledge about economic and rural development.
“I will return to Bangladesh in January 2011 to conduct my research with Grameen Shakti,” Wade said.
Grameen Shakti, an energy company, is developing quickly and has installed more than 3.2 million Solar Home Systems in rural areas of Bangladesh. The company’s mission statement lists popularizing Solar Home Systems (SHSs) as a major social objective.
Solar Energy and Female Labor Force: A New Concept of Socio-Economic Development is the research topic for the upcoming project. Research will continue until January 2012.
Along with faith, help from the FAMU Office of International Education and Development and the FAMU Writing Resource Center, Wade credits her success to education she received at FAMU.
“I have received a lot of words of encouragement from family members and friends,” she said.
Study abroad programs such as the CLS and Boren Fellowship are fully funded and available to all undergraduate and graduate students. Wade wants students, especially from FAMU, to “take advantage of these opportunities.”
For more information about the CLS program and Boren Fellowship, go to www.clscholarship.org and www.borenawards.org. For information on Grameen Shakti, visit www.gshakti.org