Media contact: Tiffany Westry Womack, tiffanywestry@uab.edu
University of Alabama at Birmingham sophomore Hunter Drinkard has been awarded the University Studies Abroad Consortium Explorer Scholarship to study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand, this fall.
USAC provides university students with affordable, valuable study abroad programs and contributes to the internationalization of universities in the United States and abroad. Its mission is to provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to succeed in the global society of the 21st century. USAC currently has more than 50 program locations in 27 countries with many locations unique for studying abroad. USAC’s Explorer Scholarship is a nationally competitive scholarship, and even students who do not attend a USAC-affiliated university are eligible to apply.
Drinkard, a native of Saraland, Alabama, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and is on the personalized path in the UAB Honors College. He also plans to earn two master’s degrees — one in public administration and the other in urban planning.
“I hope to one day work in urban transportation planning and work to build more efficient, sustainable cities,” Drinkard said. “I also plan to one day run for public office, with hopes of one day running for president of the United States.”
Drinkard’s program in Thailand focuses on Southeast Asian economics, politics and culture studies. He will also take a class in sustainable development. He says this study abroad experience will help him prepare for his future career.
“These courses will help me develop a global perspective, which will be vital in my future political endeavors,” Drinkard said.
Drinkard was awarded one of UAB’s most prestigious endowed scholarships, the Charles W. Ireland Presidential Honors Scholarship, in 2016. He is a member of UAB’s Ethics Bowl and Bioethics Bowl debate teams. He is currently an intern for the Randall Woodfin mayoral campaign.