{"id":12352,"date":"2021-05-03T19:18:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T23:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/pr\/?p=12352"},"modified":"2026-07-13T21:42:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T01:42:47","slug":"%e6%97%a5%e6%9c%ac%e3%81%b8%e8%a1%8c%e3%81%8f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/scm\/%e6%97%a5%e6%9c%ac%e3%81%b8%e8%a1%8c%e3%81%8f\/","title":{"rendered":"\u65e5\u672c\u3078\u884c\u304f"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nylah McClain is the first UMES student to win a Boren Fellowship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday, May 3, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nylah McClain was captivated as a child by Japanese comic books and graphic novels — manga<\/em> — as well as anime<\/em>, the term used to describe a unique style of animation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClain had no way of knowing at age seven it would lead 16 years later to a year of study in the Land of the Rising Sun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fort Washington, Md. native is among 124 American college students awarded a Boren Fellowship for the 2021-22 academic year, and a first for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  The fellowship carries a $25,000 stipend to spend a year in \u201clanguage immersion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClain earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in environmental science in May 2020 and was a member of the Richard A. Henson Honors Program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor Nylah to be the first UMES recipient of a Boren Fellowship is truly transformative, for her and for our school,\u201d Dr. Michael Lane, the honors program director, wrote in an April 16 memo announcing the honor.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClain \u201cis proof positive that UMES students can compete for – and win – nationally prestigious awards of this caliber,\u201d Lane said, \u201cand \u2026 has cleared the skies for future Hawks to soar toward their own goals around the world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fellowship is named for a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, the principal author of legislation that created the National Security Education Program, which focuses on building “a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The graduate of Oxon Hill High School, a science and technology magnet school in Prince George’s County, gravitated to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore because it was a historically black institution in a bucolic setting and offered a career path to become an environmental scientist.  As a secondary school student, McClain studied Italian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UMES, it turns out, offers academic course credit in Japanese through its Foreign Language Instruction Center.\u00a0 McClain seized the opportunity and spent two semesters as a senior under the tutelage of center director Phillip Broussard.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNylah-san<\/em> (the name I use to call her in Japanese class) is an extremely determined, diligent and motivated student,\u201d Broussard said.  \u201cThese are all of the traits needed to learn and master a new language, particularly a difficult language like Japanese.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClain, he added, \u201calways works hard, completes work on time and asks questions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a mandatory essay required by the Boren Fellowship application, McClain wrote, \u201cHow languages change and develop has always been of interest to me.  This desire to understand others and how they communicate will aid in how I prepare to approach others overseas.  I want to be viewed as confident, but polite.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile I’m sure I can get the polite part down, I am quite introverted and approaching others can be difficult for me,\u201d McClain’s essay said.  \u201cBecause Japanese culture is quite polite, being immersed by the culture will make me more comfortable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 23-year-old currently is a first-year student in UMES’ marine-estuarine-environmental sciences graduate program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my career goals is to educate the public on how marine ecosystems interact with and are impacted by humans and how humans are affected in turn,\u201d McClain’s Boren application essay says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClain received the Boren Fellowship award news electronically in mid-April and immediately called family members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy girlfriend was with me,\u201d McClain said.  \u201cI had to read it aloud to make it real.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone is very proud of me,\u201d McClain said.  \u201cI’ve always talked to them about going to Japan, but it always seemed out of reach\u201d financially. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In return for the year-long fellowship, McClain committed to pursuing work with the federal government where language skills can be put to practical use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to work for the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Due to the international effect, the need for public understanding increases,\u201d McClain’s essay reads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Broussard continues to tutor McClain about two hours a week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs her Japanese instructor (\u5148\u751f) I am very proud of this amazing accomplishment,\u201d Broussard said. \u201cLiving and studying Japanese in Japan will accelerate her journey to language proficiency.  This award will surely set Nylah-san<\/em> apart, and create unique opportunities for her in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Acknowledgements<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n