CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with West Texas A&M University recently announced that one student has earned a scholarship to study at a prestigious university in South Korea.

Officials detailed in a release that the U.S. Department of State provided the scholarship to Jacqueline Nevarez, a senior business major from Amarillo, who is set to fly to Seoul on Feb. 20 and take international business classes for four months at Yonsei University.

“I wanted to study in South Korea because it has grown from a poor country to one of the most highly developed economies in the world in just 60 years,” Nevarez said. “I want to learn from them and bring ideas back to the U.S. that I can integrate into whatever company I work for after graduating.”

According to officials, Nevarez won a $4,000 Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship in December 2022 which the States Department stated assists students “of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to national security and economic prosperity.” Officials added that the program encourages students to study languages abroad.“

“Since Jacqueline’s first visit to our office, it was clear that she was going to do everything in her power to make her dream of studying abroad a reality, despite the challenges or barriers, and we are confident she will be successful in her program,” said Carolina Galloway, director of WT’s Study Abroad Program.

Nevarez is a Caprock High School graduate and a single mother to a 13-year-old daughter, stating in the release “I was only 18 when I had her, so I ended up putting a pause on higher education,” said Nevarez, now 31.

Nevarez went on to explain in the release her decision for coming back to school after she was laid off in 2020, stating, “I thought maybe it was time to go back to school, and I only had one semester left to finish my degree in business administration from AC.”

“I am very excited about Jacqueline’s opportunity to study abroad,” Macy said. “Instead of being worried by the unknown, she is excited at the potential. South Korea is a dynamic country but has a very different language and culture. Nothing scares Jacqueline. She has already faced challenges, which taught her to trust herself. Going to college in Seoul is just another chance to test herself.”

“Our goal is for students to become aware of the different scholarships that exist, which can help offset the financial requirements,” Galloway said. “These scholarships are designed to remove barriers and provide students with the opportunity to study abroad, regardless of their circumstances.”