Madison Portie of Brandon views the world from the Great Wall of China. Portie is studying the Chinese language this summer in Beijing before beginning her sophomore year this fall at the University of Mississippi.
OXFORD, Miss. – Madison Portie of Brandon just completed her freshman year at the University of Mississippi but already her achievements are notable and telling as to how she tackles life.
Courageous, intelligent, adventurous, gregarious and thoughtful might well describe Portie, who landed a prestigious Gilman Scholarship that has provided her the opportunity to study this summer at the Beijing Language and Culture Institute in China.
“I decided to apply for the Gilman award because of my desire to expand upon and improve my ability to speak Mandarin [Chinese] and to experience the culture of China and its people,” Portie said. “Having a tight-knit community like Ole Miss to grow in is a wonderful experience, but as technology makes our world smaller, we no longer have to accept that learning in a classroom is our only option. Now we can experience and understand the nuances of different languages and cultures, and build bridges that will help our countries work together for a brighter future.”
In fact, the university’s Chinese Language Flagship Program, one of only nine such offerings in the nation, was one reason Portie chose UM over the many other college options she received thanks to her impressive 3.92 overall grade-point average at Jackson Preparatory School and her 32 ACT score.
Donald Dyer, chair of the Department of Modern Languages, says he is impressed with Portie’s depth and range as a student.
“The university needs more students like Madison Portie,” he said. “Her academic interests are varied and intertwined. As a business and Chinese major and a cinema minor, she clearly understands the important connections that exist among those worlds, and as a student, she succeeds at a high level in all areas of study.”
Portie’s other attractions to the university include the new cinema minor option in the College of Liberal Arts and the reputation of the School of Business Administration, where she was offered and accepted a $40,000 ($10,000 per year) Christine and Clarence Day Scholarship.
“I am a finance major in the School of Business and a Chinese major and cinema minor in the College of Liberal Arts,” said Portie, who is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Over the past year, she was listed on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll and participated in the Ole Miss Women’s Council Leadership Series, and, as a member of Delta Gamma sorority, she worked in many student-driven philanthropic efforts.
“Everything that has happened during my first year at Ole Miss has resulted in exponential personal and academic growth that, I have no doubt, will serve me well in my future career.
“My [career] areas of interest include finance and international business. I would love to pursue a Fulbright Scholarship following graduation to further my international studies. Being able to speak Chinese is a powerful business tool, but it goes beyond even that. In the film industry, learning the language and experiencing the culture opens up a new genre of film to study from both a cultural and economic standpoint.”
Portie arrived at her study destination on June 23, with plans to return to the Oxford campus Aug. 25 to begin her sophomore year. AT BLCU, she is taking two sessions of Chinese that will provide 12 hours of credit toward her Chinese language major.
“The Gilman grant certainly helped make this opportunity available to me and other students in the United States seeking to expand their horizons,” she said, adding that she is enjoying making new international friends and traveling around China.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students to pursue academic studies abroad. The congressionally funded program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education through its office in Houston, Texas.
To further enrich her study abroad experience and to possibly help others who will be traveling abroad, Portie is writing a blog called “The China Belle—A Day in Beijing” and including photos, at https://madisonportie.wordpress.com/. For more information about study abroad opportunities at UM, visit http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/study_abroad/.