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JAPANESE LANGUAGE
SCHOLARSHIP "AURORA" FOUNDATION Announces the 3rd Annual
Scholarship Winners
For Immediate Release
Press contact: CEI
Tel: (323) 463-9929
Fax: (323) 464-8048
Los Angeles - July 24 - The Japanese Language Scholarship "AURORA"
Foundation is pleased to announce their third scholarship winners,
Ms. Bonnie Wolfgang and Ms. Jennifer Pedersen. The primary goal
of the foundation is to nurture and provide support for Japanese
language teachers and students of Japanese language education
in the USA. The scholarships, for summer 2002, will enable the
awardees to experience a 2-3 month stay in Japan and give them
the opportunity to attend an intensive Japanese Language Teacher
educational program.
Bonnie Wolfgang, from Dunkirk, Indiana, has been involved
in various programs abroad since 1983 and continues to promote
cross cultural understanding as a Japanese Language Instructor
at Penn High School in Minshawaka, Indiana (1994 - present).
Ms. Wolfgang received her B.A. (French) from Ball State University
in Muncie, Indiana (1984) and her M.A.(Linguistics), also from
Ball State University. In 1983 Bonnie was an international exchange
student at the Université de Franche-Comté, Besancon,
France, and in 1987-89 as a member of the Peace Corps she was
an English instructor in Africa. Ms. Wolfgang taught English
in Japan in 1990-93, and she is very much looking forward to
returning to Japan.
Jennifer Pedersen, from Omaha, Nebraska, is currently Japanese
Language Instructor in the Omaha Public Schools, elementary school
level. She received her Bachelor of Arts (History) from University
of Nebraska at Omaha in 1979, her Masters of Arts (American History)
in 1985, followed by a 2nd B.A. (International Marketing) in
1986 and a 2nd M.A. (English) in 1992, all from the University
of Nebraska at Omaha. While she was a student of international
marketing, she had the opportunity to study at her university's
sister school, Shizuoka University in Japan. That experience
served to refocus her goals towards her love of the Japanese
language and culture, which she has been pursuing ever since.
The scholarship includes a trip to Los Angeles to attend the
Aurora Foundation Award Dinner on September 7th at the New Otani
Hotel & Gardens; and the Ryoko Moriyama "Aurora"
Concert. The scholarships will be formally presented at the Award
Dinner.
Ryoko Moriyama, Japan's renowned singer and songwriter who
has been delighting audiences since her debut in 1967, will be
making her first Los Angeles appearance at benefit performances
at the Japan America Theatre on September 8-9, 2001. The benefit
concerts, presented in association with Creative Enterprise International,
Inc., the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center,
and Hiroaki Kaneko Office Co., Ltd.., celebrate the 35th anniversary
of Ms. Moriyama's career as a performer and are a charitable
fundraising event for the Aurora Foundation (EIN: 31-1639219).
Dr. Akiko Agishi, Founder & President of the Aurora Foundation,
is a former Fulbright scholar and graduate of UCLA and is happy
to have the opportunity to share her dream with young educators.
"The youth of today remain our hope for tomorrow and I believe
we must all do our part to help prepare them, through quality
educators, for that tomorrow."
The Japanese Language Scholarship "AURORA" Foundation
is generously supported by the following corporate sponsors:
Panasonic, Toyota, Japan Airlines, California Bank & Trust,
Crystal Cruises/Shogun Cruises, Kinokuniya Book Stores, Koyo
Graphic International, Inc., the New Otani Hotel & Garden,
United Airlines. Media sponsors are BRIDGE U.S.A., Rafu Shimpo,
and United Television Broadcasting. Aurora is also supported
by the Consulate General of Japan, Los Angeles, Japan America
Society, The Japan Foundation and Language Center in Los Angeles,
JBA, JCCSC, JETRO, L.A. Seijo-kai, L.A. Tokyo-kai.
For more information, including sponsorship, please contact the
Aurora Foundation at (323) 466-1237 or by e-mail at AuroraFoundation@usa.net.
Please check the JLSF website at www.jlsf-aurora.org.
2nd annual scholarship winners
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