FLAS spotlight: Lauren Nicole Barnes

East Asian studies master's student Lauren Nicole Barnes received a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship from the Center for East Asian Studies to study Taiwan’s culture and language. Read more about her experience below.

Why did you apply for the FLAS fellowship, and what drew you to this particular subject?

I was drawn to the FLAS fellowship as it offered me the chance to pursue the interests I had cultivated while living in Taiwan. I previously served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant on the East coast of Taiwan. Before taking the FLAS fellowship, I was certain that I wanted to continue to explore Taiwanese history and culture, but I was unsure exactly how I would do this or what discipline I would pursue. FLAS allowed me to take time to pursue a master’s degree before trying to apply to a Ph.D. program, which was crucial in becoming ready to be a professional scholar.

What did you do for your FLAS fellowship? In addition to the language training and area studies research, did you travel to any conferences to present your research or publish your findings?

During the FLAS, I worked with the Hoover Institution as well. As part of my job, I worked with the East Asian vault and the rare Chinese books written by Chiang Kai-shek. I analyzed Chiang's works and produced a short blog piece about how Chiang attempted to utilize the Chinese Youth League to revitalize the nationalist's image. This short blog piece will be published on the Hoover website. Without the additional training I received from the FLAS, I would not have had the language skills necessary to complete this task.

What have you learned from this experience?

I think my favorite class I took while at Stanford was specifically geared towards Taiwan's democratic evolution. I was happy to have the chance to take such a specialized class, and I feel like it wouldn't be offered at any university other than Stanford. Another amazing experience I had was when me and my fellow classmates met at my classmate’s house in Palo Alto to make dumplings. It was my first time learning how to make dumplings, and even though mine were incredibly ugly and lumpy, they were still delicious! Finally, I think my favorite part of being involved with the Center for East Asian Studies and the FLAS fellowship was being part of an amazing community that supported my academic and personal pursuits.

Anything else you would like to share?

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity FLAS provided me to study without having to worry about financial burdens. Without FLAS I would not be able to pursue higher education. FLAS gave me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and become a much better scholar.