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FSB scholarship gives students a once-in-a-lifetime experience

By Laura Fitzgerald, Senior Staff Writer

Since arriving at Miami University's Luxembourg campus, sophomore Benjamin Butler has visited four new countries. In just two weeks, he has seen and learned about other parts of the world, all because of the help of a scholarship grant.

Jack and Rose-Marie Anderson donated $1 million last month to the Roger L. Jenkins International Scholarship fund - the scholarship that made Butler's trip to Luxembourg possible. The scholarship is offered to all Farmer School of Business (FSB) students who are participating in semester or summer study abroad programs.

The Anderson family named the scholarship after Roger Jenkins, former dean of FSB, for his commitment to study abroad.

"It was really Dean Jenkins' vision that every Farmer School student have the opportunity to study abroad," said Kirk Bogard, assistant dean for external relations.

If Butler hadn't received the scholarship, he says he might not have had that opportunity, or, at least, he would have gone into debt studying abroad.

He wouldn't have been the only one. Most often, Bogard said, students don't study abroad because they are deterred by the financial burden that comes with it.

Senior Director for Communications Addie Rosenthal says about 60 percent of FSB students study abroad.

This semester, the Jenkins scholarship distributed $95,000 among 17 students studying abroad in places like Barcelona, Hong Kong and Luxembourg, Bogard said.

The Anderson foundation contributed its first million-dollar gift in January 2015, and the second earlier this year, according to Bogard. The third million in the scholarship fund has been contributed from multiple donors.

With the newest million-dollar donation, the Jenkins fund is one of the largest scholarships available at Miami, Rosenthal said.

Bogard says study abroad gives FSB students the chance to participate in the global economy, have a greater appreciation for other cultures and navigate differences among themselves and others.

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Butler says he is studying abroad so he can learn about the world from a non-American point of view.

"We think everything is one way, the American way, but when you're over here you get a new perspective on life as you are traveling, learning and studying in a new country that thinks differently," Butler said.

He also says he has learned how to function more independently as he adjusts to traveling and living in a country where he may not be able to ask for help from strangers who do not speak the same language.

"You are on your own when it comes to travel, meals, laundry and whatever problem comes your way," Butler said. "It's like college, but you can't expect everyone to know English when you are stuck and missed your train."

Butler says he's already making connections between his major and his experiences abroad. He majors in supply chain and operations management. The train system in Luxembourg is especially fascinating, Butler says, because it makes him think about how goods are moved from one place to another.

Rosenthal said the Anderson family has also supported two Farmer professorships and the Anderson distinguished lecture series. Jack Anderson is a 1947 Miami alumnus with a degree in accounting. He has also served as chairman of FSB's Advisory Council.

Butler says he is grateful for the experience of learning and living in a foreign country.

"Without studying abroad, I don't think I would learn as much," Butler said. "It helps you grow up as a person."

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