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Three FLAS Fellows Named 2017 Husky 100 Recipients

April 5, 2017

“My UW experience provided me with the intellectual community and fieldwork opportunities to combine my unique perspectives as a mountaineer and development scholar to fight for a more thoughtful and durable Himalayan adventure travel paradigm”  -Ian Bellows

Three FLAS Fellows were recently named as recipients of the 2017 Husky 100 award, which recognizes 100 UW students who excel in connecting their experiences inside the classroom with service and leadership outside the classroom.

Ian Bellows (BA Geography/BA International Studies ’17) is an outdoor leader with Cascade Leadership Challenge, a non-profit organization which provides leadership and outdoor adventure opportunities to youth in the greater Seattle area.  Ian is a 2016-17 South Asia FLAS Fellow in Hindi.  The FLAS Fellowship has supported Ian’s acquisition of Hindi language skills and study of the Himalayan adventure travel industry.

Feruza Ghias (BA Community Psychology and Society, Ethics & Human Behavior, Education minor ’17) is an aspiring educator and advocate of cross-cultural alliance.  As a peer instructor for first-year students and a study abroad ambassador at UW Bothell, Feruza has helped new students succeed and encouraged them to participate in study abroad opportunities.  Feruza was a 2015 Russia, East Europe & Central Asia FLAS Fellow in Russian.  She used the FLAS Fellowship to support her study of Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with the School of Russian & Asian Studies.  She told the Husky 100:

“Living with host families and experiencing the problems of immigrants and refugees has taught me the importance of cultural alliance and the need to be empathetic to those of other backgrounds.”

Isatou Jallow (LL.M Sustainable International Development Law ’17) is a lawyer and disability and women’s rights advocate who is passionate about the eradication of the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).  As an LL.M student, Isatou is studying development law while also preparing for the Washington State Bar exam.  She serves on the City of Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission, and is a 2016-17 West Europe FLAS Fellow in French.  The FLAS Fellowship has supported her study of French and French law and policy, particularly regarding the practice of FGM.  She told the Husky 100:

“As a black Muslim immigrant woman who went through Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), who suffered discrimination due to a disability, and who was homeless for over three years, I am happy to receive an education in an inclusive institution which has allowed me to serve others in similar situations.”

Read more about the Husky 100.

FLAS Fellowships are funded by the International and Foreign Language Education Office of the U.S. Department of Education. FLAS fellowships support undergraduate, graduate and professional students in acquiring modern foreign languages and area or international studies competencies. Students from all UW departments and professional schools are encouraged to apply. Find out more about the FLAS Fellowship here.