Four WC students are the inaugural recipients of a new fellowship, established by a Washington College trustee and his wife, that will support their studies abroad. The Crouse-Enokido Fellowship for Study Abroad will cover costs for WC students who might not otherwise be able to spend a semester or longer studying outside of the United States.

Tom Crouse ’59 and Kay Enokido, both of whom have lived and traveled across Asia, established the endowed fund to encourage student interactions with other cultures, races, and religions.

“We greatly enjoyed our experiences living and working in three different countries,” Crouse says. “The opportunities to develop understanding and appreciation were priceless. Extended stays in unfamiliar countries opened our eyes and minds dramatically, and our lives have not been the same since. We want these and similar experiences to be available to all WC students regardless of their financial situations.”

Crouse earned an MBA from Columbia University in 1961 and lived for several years in Hong Kong and Tokyo, where he met Enokido. The couple subsequently lived in Indonesia before moving back to New York City. Crouse was the founder, chairman, and CEO of CIG International LLC in Washington, D.C., until its sale in 2004. Previously he was with Citibank for 15 years and served as senior vice president for Asia for Crocker National Bank of San Francisco. He is currently a member of The Asia Society and The Japan Society, both of New York, and a Steering Committee member of the Walpole International Affairs Discussion Group (WIADG). He is active in local community political activities in Walpole, New Hampshire.

Crouse was elected to the College’s Board of Visitors and Governors in December 2003. He was also the first chairperson of the Visiting Committee of Washington College and co-chaired his class’s 40th and 50th reunion committees.

Enokido was the owner’s representative of the historic Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C., for 23 years, and president of the Hay-Adams Management Company for over 12 of those years. She started the hotel’s renowned Author Series, attracting such literary notables as Toni Morrison, David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, Maya Angelo, John Grisham, and others to the high-profile luncheons. She is a graduate of New York University and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University. She also attended Indiana University and the advanced management program of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Enokido also worked for several years as a freelance photojournalist and as an executive for CIG International. She is a former chairperson of the Smithsonian Institution’s Japan WOW! program. She now serves as chairperson for the Speakers Committee of WIADG and is immersed in nonfiction writing about her family’s life in Manchuria in the 1940s.

The additional cost of a semester’s study abroad can amount to as much as $3,500 per student for airfare, visas, and lost wages, according to Andrew Oros, associate dean for international education and director of international studies. The amount of the fellowship varies but typically ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, with priority given to students with demonstrated financial need. Students of any major may receive a Crouse-Enokido Fellowship, but preference will be given to those with a declared minor in Asian studies, a concentration in Asian studies in the international studies program, or study of (or interest in studying) an Asian language.

The four fellowship recipients, all planning to study abroad in fall 2018 are:

Gwendalyn Ryan, a sophomore double-major in international studies and computer science with a minor in economics. Because of her interest in learning the Arabic language, she has applied to study abroad at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, for the 2018-19 academic year.

Ryan Zwier is a sophomore double-major in computer science and mathematics and a varsity baseball player. Zwier is applying to the China Studies Institute next fall, intending to become fluent in Chinese language.  

Ervens Jean-Pierre is a sophomore majoring in international studies with a concentration in Latin American studies, minoring in economics. He is planning to attend Pontificia Universidade Catolica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Felicia Attor is a sophomore majoring in chemistry and minoring in French studies who will study both subjects at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco.

“This generous gift will help students who otherwise may not be able to take advantage of one of WC’s great assets: our 14 partnerships across Asia, Africa, the Mid-East, and Latin America,” says Oros. “As someone who spent a life-changing year in Japan as an undergraduate, I know personally how early exposure to a different culture can shape one’s life journey.”

 

Learn more about WC’s Global Education opportunities.