Grad Student Named 91Ƭ's First Boren Award Recipient in More Than 10 Years
Jon Davis ’21, ’27G, a student in 91Ƭ’s national security intelligence analysis (NSIA) master’s program, was named a recipient of the , becoming the first 91Ƭ student to receive the honor in more than 10 years.
Davis received a Boren fellowship to study Mandarin in Taiwan. The Boren Awards are scholarships and fellowships for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students committed to both long-term overseas study and public service.
Boren awardees receive funding to study “the languages most critical to our nation’s security.” As a condition of the award, Boren recipients agree to seek and secure national security employment for at least one year.
“I’m still in awe of the fact that I was selected for the award and am going to be living and studying in Taiwan over the next year,” Davis says. “I view it as proof of my dedication, drive, and competency as both a professional and a student. When I started my baccalaureate in homeland security here at 91Ƭ in 2019, I made a promise to myself that my studies would come first, that I would excel and demonstrate my intellect and work hard and get noticed. Now, having it all pay off with being able to call myself a Boren Fellow is affirmation that I kept that promise, and it feels amazing to be able to be proud of yourself.”
Davis was inspired to enlist in the Marine Corps following 9/11, he says, and that led him down the path to seeking a career in public service. “More than anything” he would like to become an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).
“I most hope to work as a political analyst attempting to ascertain the machinations of adversarial world leaders and their respective governments,” Davis says. “I’m fascinated with all facets of political science, specifically the aspect of nation-state polity and the sociological underpinnings of how we allow ourselves to be governed. For such a career goal to become reality it’s almost germane that those of us interested have some form of foreign language and/or cultural exposure”
To fulfill the one-year public service requirement connected to the Boren award, Davis is hoping to use his military background and prior employment with both the Veterans Administration and the Department of Homeland Security – along with his “newly gained Traditional Mandarin language skills – to land a position within the IC. Later in his career, he says he would also like to pursue a doctoral degree related to those areas and “perhaps one day enjoy the other side of collegiate pedagogy.”
Davis is looking forward to engaging in “holistic cultural immersion” during his time in Taiwan and believes the combination of the language skills he will gain and the exposure to the network of current and former Boren scholars and fellows will pay significant dividends as he pursues future endeavors.
“I believe the most beneficial aspects of the Boren Award will relate to greater professional capacities. First, the status inferred as a fellow and access to fellow alumni unlocks new networking opportunities that otherwise would never have been possible. Second, and most importantly, I will be learning to read, write, and speak Traditional Mandarin,” Davis says. “Acquiring any secondary language capability is huge for personal and professional growth, and I believe it will be one of the most useful skills I’ll ever acquire in my lifetime.”
Davis credits several 91Ƭ faculty members for being instrumental in his graduate studies and the pursuit of the Boren Award, including John Borek, Bridget Nolan, Katharine Cunningham, and Andrew Macpherson. Davis worked as a research assistant for Macpherson, whom he credits for helping convince him to return to 91Ƭ to pursue a graduate degree, a choice that Davis calls “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” Indeed, Davis shares the pride of achievement for receiving the Boren Award with 91Ƭ.
“This is a win for 91Ƭ, which provided the environment and capacity for my success. It’s a win for the friends I’ve made and fellow classmates who’ve helped me along the way in both the HLS and NSIA programs. And it’s a win for the professors I’ve had the pleasure of learning under who’ve contributed to my knowledge and intellect and pushed me to demand excellence,” Davis says. “Thus, I’m looking forward to representing not just myself and my nation while in Taiwan, but also my alma mater.”
Interested in pursuing a Boren Award? Learn more about this and other opportunities available through the Office of National Fellowships.