Students Win Luce Awards

A senior and a recent graduate of Harvard are among this year's winners in the Luce Scholars Program, College officials announced earlier this week.

The nation-wide scholarship program awards the winners one-year internships in Southeast Asia where they learn about the Asian way of life.

Mark K. Widen '92 and Catherine Brown '91 were told Monday that they were successful in their application to the program.

"It's a work experience, not a study experience," Wiedman said. "As a senior, I'm tired of books and teachers' dirty looks."

"The object is to bring back a better understanding of the eastern world to the western world," said Marilyn Zax, who works in the office of the Committee on General Scholarships, which coordinates the program at Harvard.

Zax said Harvard students traditionally fare very well in the competition. The College has fielded at least one winner every year for the past 10 to 15 years, she said, adding that such a large number of winners is "very unusual" for one institution.

Wiedman said the program's goal is to provide participants with work experience in Asia which they could not otherwise gain in their future line of work, leading to an improved mutual understanding between East and West. "The goal is to catch you in your twenties and reshape you," Wiedman said.

Applicants for the Luce Scholarship Program undergo a rigorous selection process which includes a personal statement and one-on-one interviews for finalists in New York City.