Jonah Preising, a PhD student in the College of Education Learning Design and Technology (LTEC) program, is the recipient of an East-West Center (EWC) Graduate Degree Fellowship. During the one-year fellowship, he will participate in a series of EWC Education Program events and projects with the possibility of renewal for a second year. The program includes tuition and fees, housing, health insurance, a book allowance, and a monthly stipend.

“I feel incredibly honored and privileged to have been selected,” Preising said. “In becoming a member of this community, my goal is to contribute things that are of real and lasting value. This could mean co-authoring a research paper with an EWC fellow, making new friends in the weekly seminars, or simply talking story while sharing a meal in the community kitchen; anything is possible.”

Selection for the fellowship was based on a comprehensive application of themed essays, letters of recommendation, a community service component, and reflections on living in the EWC’s distinctively multicultural environment. The program offers numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth with educational, cultural, community, and leadership activities built into it.

LTEC Chair Curtis Ho said, “We are delighted that Jonah has received the EWC fellowship. He joins a number of EWC fellows currently in our graduate programs, but is the only one from the U.S. Being an EWC fellow will certainly add to his doctoral experience, and our department will be enriched by having another connection to the East-West Center community.”

Having earned both a master’s degree and certificate in online learning and teaching from LTEC, Preising entered the doctoral program in Fall 2015 with plans to pursue a career in the field of higher education.