New Study Abroad Scholarship to Honor Kevin Kleine’s Dedication to Berry College

Mackenzie Bryan, Reporter

Melanie Gonzalez, Editor

In celebration of Kevin Kleine’s 30 years of service as lecturer in communication at Berry, a new study abroad scholarship will be funded in his name.

When approached by the communication department to discuss how to honor his work, Kleine chose to establish a study abroad scholarship to help Berry students gain valuable experiences abroad.

“I had always noticed that students struggled with the financial portion,” Kleine said. “I thought what better way, given my love of study abroad, that this was the perfect vehicle to help students achieve this goal.”

Kleine scholarship — Dr. Bob Frank (right), professor emeritus, discusses the legacy and impact Kleine has had on Berry College alumni, faculty and students at the Mountain Day reveal of the Kevin Kleine Study Abroad Scholarship on Oct. 6, 2018. Kevin Kleine (center) and his wife Jenny Kleine (left) have worked at Berry for 30 years.

Kleine has supported traveling through study abroad after he lived with a host family in San Jose, Costa Rica, for three months during his high school career. This valuable experience remains with Kleine to this day.

“Study abroad scholarships open up students’ eyes to other cultures, other ways of thinking, other lifestyles and other experiences that they cannot get here at home,” Kleine said. “Ultimately they become better world citizens.”

Chris Borda, director of international experiences, discussed how beneficial scholarships are to the student body. Borda said he understands that preparing to study abroad can be difficult, but with the help of scholarships and guided support, the process is more efficient.

“We value the fact that our students are willing to get outside of their comfort zones and make an impact globally,” Borda said. “These funds can often be the difference between a student participating in a program or not, so to those students, the scholarship is their ticket to explore a place that they might otherwise never see.”

The Kevin Kleine Study Abroad Scholarship will provide students with this opportunity, allowing them to expand their horizons beyond Berry College.

Curt Hersey, assistant professor of communication, said the criteria for the scholarship have not yet been set. The goal is for one communication major each year to receive the scholarship, which will be determined by the total funds raised.

The funds will be raised through Berry Funder, an online portal for crowdfunding, where individuals donate money to benefit a project or campaign. As of Oct. 28, 2018, the scholarship’s funder page raised $5,960 toward the current $7,000 goal.

“I love the students and the [communication] department, we are all family, and this is the way to give back to your family,” Kleine said.

Featured photo taken by Hisayo Carroll in Florence, Italy, during the communication department summer 2018 study abroad trip.