MACON — Mercer University students Marina Serra and Gerell Glenn were recently awarded 2024 Phi Kappa Phi study abroad grants. The $1,000 grants were awarded to 125 students across the nation.
The grants are designed to support undergraduates, both members and nonmembers from campuses that have Phi Kappa Phi chapters, as they seek expanded knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad.
Serra, a rising junior from Peachtree City, is majoring in biomedical engineering and spent a month this summer in Ben Tre, Soc Trang, and Dong Thap, Vietnam. She was part of a team analyzing patients to create custom above-knee, below-knee and hand and arm prosthetics as well as providing orthopedic and medical care.
“I am honored for the opportunity to receive this award for a life-changing experience and would like to thank the amazing team of students and professors who made this trip possible,” Serra said.
At Mercer, Serra is a member of the Engineering Honors Program and the Prosthetics and Orthotics Club, and she is vice president of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the media specialist for the Women in Math and Science Club.
Glenn, a rising senior from Hephzibah, is majoring in creative writing and will study for an academic year in Fukuoka, Japan, at Seinan Gakuin University, where he plans to “become more knowledgeable about the Japanese language, society, culture, and – fitting for a Creative Writing major – the Japanese creative industry.”
“This grant really means a lot to me,” Glenn said. “Every amount of support passed my way pushes me closer to my dreams and prosperity, and I am most grateful for it.”
At Mercer, Glenn is active in the Minority Mentor Program, Opportunity Scholars Program, Mercer Firsts Program, National Society of Leadership and Success, National Society of Black Engineers, Phi Eta Sigma and Sigma Tau Delta.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. The selection process for a study abroad grant is based on the applicant’s academic achievement, campus and community service, relation of travel to academic preparation and career goals, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and acceptance into a study abroad program.
Established in 2001, the Study Abroad Grant Program is part of the Society’s robust portfolio of award and grant programs, which currently gives $1.3 million each year to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.
About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 325 select colleges and universities in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit PhiKappaPhi.org.
