Matthew Rahn will gain a new perspective next spring when he travels to Wales for a semester abroad.
Rahn, a communications junior from Claremore, will spend the spring 2016 semester at Swansea University in Wales as part of the Brad Henry International Scholars Program. The program is funded and coordinated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Though the internship is months away, Rahn said he is already researching the university and preparing for his experience. He said he looks forward to visiting other countries during his semester abroad.
“I was dumbfounded at first, but as the news sunk in, the fact that I was going to Wales became more incredible,” Rahn said. “Receiving that scholarship makes me feel proud of myself and glad I go to RSU.”
This spring, Rahn, who is a member of the President’s Leadership Class, served as the graphics chair for the Campus Activities Team and was RSU’s first Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature delegate to the OIL journalism competition. He said he anticipates gaining a new mindset during his time overseas.
“I think anytime you go outside your city or state you get a new perspective,” Rahn said. “Going to a new country multiplies that experience, and I look forward to having that new perspective.”
Swansea is a research university with more than 15,000 students overlooking Swansea Bay on the Gower Peninsula in southwest Wales. Rahn said he hopes he can tour the facility where engineers are building the Bloodhound supersonic car, which will be the fastest vehicle on earth when it is completed.
Rahn plans to talk with other Brad Henry scholars to learn more about the internship before next spring. He said RSU has been a nurturing environment for him, and he is thankful that both students and faculty encouraged him to apply for the scholarship program.
“I feel like students, staff and faculty at RSU all want you to succeed,” Rahn said. “It really feels good to know you have a whole university on your side.”