Sakina Lord is a Class of 2021 Flinn Scholar majoring in data science and French at Northern Arizona University.
In my time at Northern Arizona University, I have participated in three separate study abroad programs, spending nearly as much time abroad as I have in Flagstaff, all thanks to the travel funding provided by the Flinn Scholarship. I completed part of my capstone in India, my minor in Greece, and I’m currently immersing myself in my French major in Bordeaux.
However, this incredible journey was almost not my reality. In 2021, I was offered the Chancellor’s Scholarship to Vanderbilt University just before receiving the Flinn Scholarship, leaving me with a tough choice. I had long dreamed of the fresh start and prestige a university in another state could offer. Sometimes, I find myself wondering what I could have become in that scenario, but I also think of all the opportunities I would have missed and the global identity I wouldn’t have formed.
Without the support from the Flinn Scholars Program, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, enjoy my weekday lunch on the steps of the Acropolis in Athens, or present math in French to francophone students in the charming city known as “Little Paris.”
The Flinn Scholarship has expanded my opportunities to embrace the entire globe and not once made me believe I was limited by my decision to stay in-state.
After finding my home in cities across the world, I have found a new appreciation for my first home in Arizona.
Read more:
Flinn Scholarship Study Abroad