Whitworth International Studies Major Connor Wodehouse Awarded Boren Scholarship

Whitworth University is pleased to announce that Connor Wodehouse ’24 is a recipient of the David L. Boren Scholarship. The award is issued annually by the federal government’s National Security Education Program (NSEP). 

Wodehouse is an international studies major who would like to work for the U.S. Department of State as a diplomat in the foreign service. Last year, he was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program and spent the summer in Tanzania studying Swahili. 

This year, he was awarded the Boren Scholarship to participate in the African Flagship Language Initiative in Tanzania. He will head to Tanzania in August and spend nearly four months there.  

“The more I heard about Boren, it became increasingly clear that it could be the ticket to get exactly where I want to be, a peacemaker, working abroad for the U.S. government,” Wodehouse says. “Coming off the Critical Language Scholarship, it seemed like the next logical step. Despite the odds and hoops that needed to be jumped through, it was well worth it to be where I am now: a back-to-back Swahili scholar! I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of Whitworth faculty and family. Everything has finally fallen into place and the future couldn’t get any brighter. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”

Wodehouse also particpated in Whitworth's semester-long Tanzania Study Progam (TSP) in 2022. He is the third Whitworth student to receive this award. Alexis Dubreuil ’23 received the scholarship in 2021. Shannon Price ’21 was the first Whitworth student awarded the prestigious honor in 2019.

Boren Scholars and Fellows from diverse fields of study receive full tuition in order to immerse themselves in the cultures in regions underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. 

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. 

Contacts: 

Nicholas McKinney, M.A., M.Ed., associate dean of international education and Boren advisor. Whitworth University, (509)777-4596 or nmckinney@whitworth.edu

Trisha Coder, associate director, media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.