Centenary student wins prestigious scholarship for French language study
SHREVEPORT, LA — Brennen Templeton, a Centenary College junior majoring in music, has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Gilman Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to support French language study in Lille, France, during the summer of 2020. More than 5,000 applicants participated in this cycle of the Gilman Scholarship, and Templeton was one of 1,300 students offered awards.
The Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, enabling them to gain skills critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. The $1,500 award will help Templeton spend at least six continuous weeks in France this summer attending both the language program in Lille and Centenary’s Paris Module.
“The opportunity to spend significant time in France this summer will impact Brennen’s language learning and his immersive experience beyond measure,” explains Anne-Marie Bruner-Tracey, director of intercultural engagement at Centenary. “I’m so proud of Brennen and am eager to see how this award boosts his personal and professional goals.”
Templeton grew up in Haughton, Louisiana, and has been studying and playing music since he was eight years old. This passion for music led him to Centenary, where he also discovered a love for French language and culture.
“I started French my second year here at Centenary, and I have loved it ever since,” says Templeton. “It can be very difficult, but I find that it is worth the work. I am involved with Le Quartier Français, the College’s French-language learning-living community, and during this academic year I have been spending a lot of my time with Francophone roommates.”
Templeton is looking forward to combining his dual love of music and French during his summer study and beyond.
“I would love to continue using French within my musical compositions,” says Templeton. “I would greatly enjoy learning about all of the different styles of music that originate from French-speaking countries, and to use that knowledge to inspire my own works of art as well as to teach others about Francophone music.”
For more information about Centenary’s May Module programs and other study abroad opportunities, visit centenary.edu/studyabroad.