Shepherd University students Erin Shaw and Amanda Dotson have been named recipients of the first Create the Future Study Abroad Scholarship.

The $25,000 Create the Future endowment was created by President Suzanne Shipley and her husband, Randall Wadsworth, in 2007 to support travel expenses for faculty conducting research abroad and students studying abroad. The gift was matched by the Shepherd University Foundation in honor of Dr. Shipley’s inauguration.

The fund was created because of the worthwhile experiences Dr. Shipley and her husband had while studying abroad.

Shaw, a sophomore environmental studies major from Petersburg, will travel to France, England, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands as part of a European art and architecture program through the American Institute for Foreign Study this summer.

“The chance to grasp how international communities and individuals regard and practice the different approaches to historic preservation would be crucial to my success in my future career field,” Shaw said. “This scholarship will be immensely helpful financially in allowing me to succeed in my ambition to study abroad.”

Dotson, a senior political science major from Harpers Ferry, traveled to China over spring break.

Dotson said as a political science major, she is interested in experiencing the culture difference while in China and learning more about their government and the strength of their sense of tradition.

“Throughout my life I have stayed in my own bubble and to be able to experience different cultures will help me work better with people from different cultures and different backgrounds,” said Dotson.

For more information about making a private gift through the Shepherd University Foundation, please contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, or visit www.shepherd.edu/fndtnweb.