Patricia Duthler International Student Scholarship

Patricia Duthler grew up in Grand Rapids, MI. Her parents sent her to Christian schools K-12, followed by Calvin University. After her freshman year, she traveled to Mexico on Summer Training Session through Reformed Bible College. It was the perfect antidote to lifelong homesickness – she loved the warm, outgoing people and discovered that her classroom Spanish could be used as a bridge to another culture. She took more language study in Spain where she picked up a Castilian accent. This unleashed her lifelong passion for international travel, which guided her careers and avocations. Over the years Ms. Duthler continued to travel extensively to learn, to understand, and sometimes, to serve. She has visited every continent except Antarctica. Books, movies, classes, and conversations are no substitute for the in-person experience of international travel. She rediscovers her humanity while gone; the best and worst of other countries; and the sheer joy of meeting “neighbors” made in the image of God.

Basic criteria:

• entering freshman year (transfers may apply)
• cumulative GPA of 2.70 or higher
• demonstrate a Christian faith
• from Zuni or an international student with a first preference given to students who have citizenship and live in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Eritrea, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan; if no student meets this criterion in a given year, students who have citizenship and live in India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, or Thailand may be considered
• students majoring in the health sciences will receive special consideration if several candidates are equally qualified
• financial need as defined by government programs is required
• if no first-year students are eligible in a given year, upper-class students may be considered

Renewal criteria: This scholarship is automatically renewable if the recipient continues to make satisfactory academic progress. Renewal is subject to funding availability.