May 23, 2022

We are pleased to announce that two Drexel students have been awarded Freeman-ASIA scholarships to study abroad in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023. Congratulations to Kai and Emily! We're excited to see your adventures abroad!

Kai Thompson
BSBA Marketing '25, Honors
Freeman-ASIA recipient to Japan

I'm majoring in Marketing with minors in Product Design and Japanese, and a member of the Pennoni Honors College. I've studied Spanish for 6 years and Japanese for 7. I'm passionate about engaging with issues through a multicultural lens, and I'm working for a career that allows me to exercise my creativity and cross-cultural knowledge. This fall I'm studying Japanese at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. I'm looking forward to improving my language skills, developing my international professional network, and enjoying cultural experiences.

Emily Batori
BSBA International Business & Business Analytics '25
Freeman-ASIA recipient to China

Emily Batori (she/they) is an undergraduate student at Drexel's LeBow College of Business studying International Business. With a co-major in Business Analytics and a minor in Actuarial Science, she is also continuing with her language journey from high school to earn her certification in Mandarin Chinese. Some of her interests include sustainability, environmentalism, women's rights, traveling, music, and much more. Emily has been heavily active in Drexel's Women's Empowerment organization, and she will be serving as co-vice president for the 2022-2023 school year. With a strong passion to learn new things, travel the world, and bring a change, Emily is extremely excited for her future endeavors.

The Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) provides grants of up to $7000 to support American undergraduates who are planning to study overseas in East or Southeast Asia. The program's goal is to increase the number of Americans with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures. From its inception in 2001, Freeman-ASIA has made study abroad in East and Southeast Asia possible for over 5,000 U.S. undergraduates from more than 600 institutions.

Want to learn more? Check out the Freeman-ASIA website or email fellowships@drexel.edu.