Two Augustana University students have been awarded national scholarships for study abroad by Pi Delta Phi — the National French Honor Society for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. The scholarships recognize superior achievement in the study of the French language.
Lydia Stednitz ‘23, of Gretna, Nebraska, earned the 2023 Mary E. Gutermuth Award. The scholarship includes tuition, room and board for five weeks during the summer at the University of Québec's École de Langue Française et de Culture Québécoise (ELFCQ) in Chicoutimi, as well as a travel stipend.
“This scholarship is very meaningful to my future career path in linguistic anthropology or possibly museum work in a French-speaking country,” said Stednitz, who is a triple major in anthropology, German, and languages, literatures & cultures.
Jacob Hyland ‘24, of Tea, South Dakota, earned the 2023 Joseph W. Yedlicka Award. The scholarship includes tuition, room and board, as well as a travel stipend for seven weeks during the summer at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) flagship campus in Aix-en-Provence, France.
“The opportunity means the world to me,” said Hyland. “I am so excited to be able to explore a new place.”
Hyland, who is double majoring in elementary education and special education with a minor in theatre, said he has always loved teaching and working with kids so he believes the profession is the perfect fit.
“I had no intention of continuing my French education until my second class where I fell in love with the language and the culture that surrounds it,” added Hyland, who said he likes how the professors at Augustana push his thinking beyond the classroom.
Hyland said it’s his dream to one day teach abroad.
For more information about studying French at Augustana, visit augie.edu/French.