Talya Johnson will study 'down under' on a U.S. State Department grant
Share
Tweet
Tayla Johnson, a 2014 graduate of Chinook High, will be leaving in February for a six- month international study program in Australia. Johnson will attend the University of Southern Queensland in northeast Australia. She is the daughter of Ernie and LeAnna Johnson of rural Chinook and is preparing for a career in global health.
Talya Johnson, a 2014 graduate of Chinook High, will leave in February for Australia to attend the University of Southern Queensland for six months. Johnson, who is a junior majoring in community health at Montana State University-Bozeman (MSU), hopes to eventually work in a global setting promoting health and disease prevention. Part of her international study program is supported by a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The Gilman scholarship was created in 2000 and is administered through the U.S. State Department. Johnson will be the 16th MSU student to receive one of the Gilman study grants.
Alyson Roberts, with MSU's Office of International Programs, said she believes that nationwide about 10,000 students apply for the grants each year. Five MSU students were awarded study grants this academic year. Roberts said, "For the last few years MSU's Office of International Programs has been encouraging students wanting an international educational experience to apply for a Gilman grant. The Gilman program was designed to help students who come from states that traditionally have not had large numbers of students doing international exchange programs." This academic year more than 850 undergraduate students will be selected to receive the awards that provide up to $5,000 for expenses related to study aboard.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program was created in honor of Congressman Gilman who served 30 years as a representative from New York state to Congress. As Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations he recognized the importance of preparing future leaders to understand other cultures, countries, languages and economies.
A global health class led to a potential career
Asked how she got interested in a career in global health, Johnson said, "I took a class in global health at MSU-Billings and that got me interested in the cultural challenges of helping people live healthier lives. This is my first year at Bozeman and I'm majoring in community health. The experience in Australia will give me some perspective on how other parts of the world approach community health issues. Learning about different lifestyle and different ways of delivering health services will greatly benefit me in my intended career as well as my own personal development."
Johnson is very excited about the opportunity to study abroad. Johnson realized the value of an international experience for her chosen career but admits she had concerns about financing the trip. She explained, "With the Gilman scholarship funding and my existing scholarship support, I will be able to make it happen. It's such an incredible opportunity and I am so grateful for the chance to learn more about the world."
The University of Southern Queensland is in the northeast part of Australia. Johnson said, "While there I will take a full load of courses and, hopefully, have an opportunity to work in some aspect of community health." She added, "MSU has agreements to provide foreign exchange programs with about 250 colleges worldwide, but only three of them had the health-related programs I needed-two colleges in Australia and one in South Africa. I applied to all three to be sure I had a place to study." Interestingly, a student from the University of Southern Queensland will come to MSU and essentially trade places with Johnson while she is in Australia.
Describing some of the things she anticipates about spending six months in Australia, Johnson said, "Well, one thing I will get to see, is three of the four seasons there. When I arrive in Queensland in February it will be summer and when I leave, in July, it will be winter." She said she's been told that winter is not like Montana winters as Queensland (an Australian state) has a humid, subtropical climate. Winters tend to be wet and overcast but not very cold.
The university is in Queensland (abbreviated as QLD) which is the second-largest and third-most-populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. The university is in Toowoomba, a city of 100,000+ people, located about 80 miles west of Brisbane, the capital city of the state on the Indian Ocean. Johnson described her trip to get as, "flying from Great Falls to Seattle, on to Vancouver. Then it's a 14+ hour non-stop flight to Brisbane and, from there, a two hour bus trip to the university."
Johnson said, "I'm hoping the experience will teach me to be comfortable in helping people in other cultures." She added she would be looking to establish international connections that could eventually lead to a career in global health. Talya is the daughter of Ernie and LeAnna Johnson of rural Chinook.
The "Journal" wishes Talya a great learning experience in Australia. Don't forget to take plenty of jumpers (sweatshirts) for the winter and be prudent with the lollies and biscuits (candies and cookies).
