TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1999

Frequent flier

President's Scholar adapts to hectic schedule

By Ingela Ringbjer

On-Line Forty-Niner

May Baptista, frequent flier.

A pre-graduate study program next summer, an internship in Washington, D.C. the following summer and after that another summer internship overseas, are all about to become reality for the 20 year old.

The Cal State Long Beach junior majoring in international studies is one of 15 students to receive the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Foreign Affairs Fellowship. It is administered by the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation and the U.S. Department of State.

"I'm very honored and feel very privileged that I was selected to do this because it is a very select number of people," Baptista said.

The national fellowship recruits college students from throughout the nation. It is designed to prepare students to enter foreign service or to pursue a career with the U.S. Department of State.

Starting next summer, Baptista will attend a junior graduate institute program for about 10 to 12 weeks at one of five selected universities.

A President's Scholar since 1996, Baptista will graduate in May 2000. Following graduation, she will intern at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the internships, the award also pays for the first year of graduate school as well as the junior and senior year of undergraduate study.

"[In graduate school] I would like to go into public policy, public administration or international relations," she said.

The summer internship between the first and second year of graduate study gives Baptista an opportunity to work with a U.S embassy overseas.

"It's pretty much our choice [where to go]. I would like to go to as many different countries as I can so I have no area of preference," Baptista said.

She said she looks forward to the many new opportunities in the coming years.

"I want to take it one step at a time," Baptista said. "I'm just kind of looking forward to the junior graduate program this summer because that is the first step in this whole process."

Before the final selection of the 15 award winners, Baptista went through an interview selection process at Princeton.

"It was a great experience. I got to meet so many great people and got first-hand knowledge from them," Baptista said.

In the future, she would like to go into diplomacy. She said she is considering either the administrative or political aspect of international studies as possible career options.

"I'm really not sure, I try to keep my options open because I really don't know what is out there," Baptista said.

Baptista works part-time as a student assistant in the office of University Outreach and School Relations on campus. She is also involved in other extra-curricular activities such as work for Students Talk About Race and peer advising for the President's Scholar Program.

She is a member of the International Education Committee and the University Honors Program.

"I enjoy it all, that's what matters and I think that is what keeps me going," Baptista said.