Scholars Around the World
Two JKCF Scholars organize a 15-day study tour to Bolivia to explore the country’s political economy, peoples and rural development
Scholar Performance
Tessa was featured with her chamber group on the national radio program 'From the Top'.
Elizabeth Roberts
“Coming to China has not only helped me pursue my love of languages and encouraged me to continue Chinese studies during college, but it has also taught me more about the importance of an international perspective and my role as a global citizen.”
- Program: 2008 College Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: Tucson, AZ
- Hometown: Tacoma, WA
- Age: 18
- Four-year College or University: Yale University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Astronomy, Computing / IT, Languages, Mathematics, Sciences
- Other Interests: Church / Religious Organization, Classics, Foreign Languages / International Study, Languages, Liberal Arts, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Sciences, Writing / Journalism, Piano
Biography
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUNG SCHOLAR EXPERIENCE: Elizabeth has had three successive summers of immersion: in math at a month-long MathPath camp; in Ancient Greek at Johns Hopkins University; and in Spanish at the Academia de Espana in Barcelona, all culminating in a senior year abroad in China. Along the way, mentorship with a Juilliard professor led her to the composition of an award-winning work for piano and cello.
PROFILE: Elizabeth has a passion for languages that extends from Chinese, Spanish, and Ancient Greek to the abstract languages of mathematics and music. Fluent in Spanish and proficient in Chinese, she plays the piano and erhu, and completed all but one of her high school requirements by the end of her junior year in order to spend her senior year studying in Beijing.
INSPIRATION: “I believe in getting away” is how Elizabeth’s grandmother explained why she became the first in her family to graduate from high school and attend college. “Getting away” became a recurring theme in Elizabeth’s life, inspiring a thirst for discovery that led her from Arizona to Asia. When Elizabeth was initially discouraged by the long odds of winning a spot in the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars program, it was her grandmother who inspired her to apply.
ASPIRATION: To continue exploring her love of languages and expanding her world view.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Elizabeth cared for disabled and handicapped orphans and taught English to the children of migrant workers in China. She also tutored math in her community back home.
ACCOLADES: Elizabeth’s poetry was published in Best Teen Writing 2006 as an Alliance for Young Artists & Writers national gold award winner. She was first place individual winner in the 2007 Academic Decathlon (state level), having won first place team (state) and fifth place team (national) in 2006. She was a Junior Division-First Place winner in the DuPont Challenge and received an award in music composition from the Arizona State Music Teachers Association.
INTERESTING FACT: Never having ridden a bicycle before, Elizabeth spent two months learning to ride and observing the mass of Beijing bicyclists before braving her first trip to school by bicycle in China. To her surprise, the cyclists around her recognized and accommodated her limitations instantly, leaving plenty of space around her as she rode.
Other Scholars Like Elizabeth
William Tarpeh
College Scholar
Stanford University
Tiffany Mathis
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Florida
Nasra Nimaga
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles
Jarrod Brown
Graduate Scholar
University of Hawai'i at Manoa