In May 2020 the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship Fund (CBMSF) selected seven students to award scholarships for full year study abroad programs for the 2020-21 academic year. The CBMSF Board would like to congratulate Jonathan Sarabia, Carlo Francisco, Matthew Zane, Michaela Schwartz, and Luis Valente of UCSD and Sage Gregory and Mackenzie Nye of UCD for being selected as future Borton Scholars. This fantastic group of future global citizens shows great promise for developing the qualities of international cooperation and cross-cultural understanding we seek to support.
Since then, the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) has announced the decision that “All fall programs, regardless of location, have been suspended this year and will not run, even if conditions related to COVID-19 improve.” As per CBMSF policy, scholarship proceeds are not disbursed until scholars embark on their year abroad. We are in the process of collecting information from the awardees about their individual plans for study abroad, given the UCEAP news, and will develop a policy that takes into account these unusual circumstances and the Fund’s stated mission of supporting full year study abroad programs.