NewsStudent LifeResidential LifeAdmission
Darlington hosts two Royal Thai Scholars
Jan 21, 2009 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
When post-graduate student Beau Kanskulthorn left her home in Thailand this fall to seek a better education in America, her knowledge of English was minimal. She faced a great challenge, but she knew the opportunities that awaited her would outweigh her fears.
“At first, my parents were sad. When they realized they would not see me for a long time, they didn’t want to let me go,” she said. “However, in the end they respected my decision. They realized that studying in America is a great opportunity that will lead to a good future for me.”
Kanskulthorn is one of two Royal Thai Scholars attending Darlington School this year. She and fellow Thai student, Mike Limpornpipat, are among only 50 national scholars selected by the Thai government in 2008.
“Each year, the Civil Service Commission of the Royal Thai government administers highly competitive, nationwide exams. The results of these tests determine who will be awarded the scholarships offered for that year,” explained Sam Moss (’63), dean of college guidance.
The majority of those selected are sponsored by a ministry or agency within the Thai government and supported through graduate school. For each year of education, they are expected to serve their sponsoring organization for two years, which can mean making a 25- to 30-year commitment to Thailand.
Others, like Limpornpipat, may be selected to receive the Thaipat Scholarship, which allows a student to study whatever he or she wishes in the categories of science or the humanities. The category is determined at the time of selection, and the student is supported through graduate school. Upon completion, the scholar may apply for additional funding for a Ph.D. program. And while Thaipat Scholars are still expected to serve the Thai government for two years for each year of their education abroad, their service is not limited to a particular ministry or agency.
“The Thai government created this program to aid them in building human resources to help their country develop,” said John Rorke, executive director for the Global Development Studies Institute and former director of the Thai Scholars Orientation Program. “Many of the scholars become researchers in a field appropriate for their sponsor. Of course, many also become university professors because the government wants a spread effect for their investment. It’s a great opportunity to obtain a world-class education, especially for those families that could not afford it otherwise.”
Darlington has been a destination school for Thai Scholars since 1992, according to Moss. “There are only 42 schools in the country that the government has selected to get these 50 kids, including very prestigious institutions like Phillips Andover, Choate Rosemary Hall, Phillips Exeter Academy and Deerfield Academy,” he added. “Besides Darlington, there are only three other schools in the South that get them at all, and those are Asheville School, Episcopal High School and St. Stevens Episcopal School.”
“Darlington is a good place for Thai Scholars because it provides them with a good education and they do well,” said Rorke, who currently serves as director of the Thai Scholars Christmas Program. “The college admission record for the Thai Scholars is outstanding, and George and Betsy Awsumb, in particular, have provided great support.”
Darlington’s Thai Scholars have attended a wide variety of institutions in the United States and Canada, including Carnegie-Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, McGill University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of British Columbia, the University of California, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, the University of Toronto, the University of Virginia, the University of Western Ontario and Virginia Military Institute.
For now, Limpornpipat and Kanskulthorn are not certain what colleges they will attend next year, but they are currently going through the application process.
“I am going to major in materials science and be a researcher in Thailand,” Limpornpipat said. “I am so excited to be able to come and study here, especially in one of the best high schools in America. It is a great chance for me to see the world.”
As per her contract with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Kanskulthorn will study manufacturing engineering. “I chose that field before taking the exam to earn my scholarship,” she explained. “This program is giving me a great chance to study abroad. One day, we [the Thai Scholars] will all go back to Thailand and share our knowledge so that we can help develop our beloved country together.”
“At first, my parents were sad. When they realized they would not see me for a long time, they didn’t want to let me go,” she said. “However, in the end they respected my decision. They realized that studying in America is a great opportunity that will lead to a good future for me.”
Kanskulthorn is one of two Royal Thai Scholars attending Darlington School this year. She and fellow Thai student, Mike Limpornpipat, are among only 50 national scholars selected by the Thai government in 2008.
“Each year, the Civil Service Commission of the Royal Thai government administers highly competitive, nationwide exams. The results of these tests determine who will be awarded the scholarships offered for that year,” explained Sam Moss (’63), dean of college guidance.
The majority of those selected are sponsored by a ministry or agency within the Thai government and supported through graduate school. For each year of education, they are expected to serve their sponsoring organization for two years, which can mean making a 25- to 30-year commitment to Thailand.
Others, like Limpornpipat, may be selected to receive the Thaipat Scholarship, which allows a student to study whatever he or she wishes in the categories of science or the humanities. The category is determined at the time of selection, and the student is supported through graduate school. Upon completion, the scholar may apply for additional funding for a Ph.D. program. And while Thaipat Scholars are still expected to serve the Thai government for two years for each year of their education abroad, their service is not limited to a particular ministry or agency.
“The Thai government created this program to aid them in building human resources to help their country develop,” said John Rorke, executive director for the Global Development Studies Institute and former director of the Thai Scholars Orientation Program. “Many of the scholars become researchers in a field appropriate for their sponsor. Of course, many also become university professors because the government wants a spread effect for their investment. It’s a great opportunity to obtain a world-class education, especially for those families that could not afford it otherwise.”
Darlington has been a destination school for Thai Scholars since 1992, according to Moss. “There are only 42 schools in the country that the government has selected to get these 50 kids, including very prestigious institutions like Phillips Andover, Choate Rosemary Hall, Phillips Exeter Academy and Deerfield Academy,” he added. “Besides Darlington, there are only three other schools in the South that get them at all, and those are Asheville School, Episcopal High School and St. Stevens Episcopal School.”
“Darlington is a good place for Thai Scholars because it provides them with a good education and they do well,” said Rorke, who currently serves as director of the Thai Scholars Christmas Program. “The college admission record for the Thai Scholars is outstanding, and George and Betsy Awsumb, in particular, have provided great support.”
Darlington’s Thai Scholars have attended a wide variety of institutions in the United States and Canada, including Carnegie-Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, McGill University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of British Columbia, the University of California, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign, the University of Toronto, the University of Virginia, the University of Western Ontario and Virginia Military Institute.
For now, Limpornpipat and Kanskulthorn are not certain what colleges they will attend next year, but they are currently going through the application process.
“I am going to major in materials science and be a researcher in Thailand,” Limpornpipat said. “I am so excited to be able to come and study here, especially in one of the best high schools in America. It is a great chance for me to see the world.”
As per her contract with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Kanskulthorn will study manufacturing engineering. “I chose that field before taking the exam to earn my scholarship,” she explained. “This program is giving me a great chance to study abroad. One day, we [the Thai Scholars] will all go back to Thailand and share our knowledge so that we can help develop our beloved country together.”
