On July 22, the Slovak Embassy held a reception to honor the 2015 FOS Slovak Scholars. The event was co-hosted by Ambassador Peter Kmec and FOS Board Chairman Joseph Senko, who gave speeches thanking the students and scholarship donors. U.S. Ambassador Theodore ‘Tod’ Sedgwick, TFAS President Roger Ream, FOS Founding Chairman Ambassador Ted Russell, and Slovak-American Foundation Chairman Mary McPherson also attended the reception.
Five students completed The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Summer Institute at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, joining students from the United States and other countries. The program offers seminars and lectures by top professors and internships with businesses, government, and non-profit organizations. The scholars gained insight into American concepts of liberal democracy, entrepreneurship, and culture. They become part of a growing network of past FOS Scholars who build successful careers and contribute to Slovakia’s economy and civil society, strengthening the U.S.-Slovak relationship.
Congratulations to the 2015 Slovak Scholars!
Tomas Sakal is from Bratislava and attends Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. He participated in TFAS’s Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems and interned with the Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Lucia Cerchlanova is from the small town of Skalice (near Cadca) and attends Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She also participated in the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems. Her internship was with The Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC).
Monika Soltesova is from Michalovce and is attending the University of Economics in Bratislava. She attended TFAs’s Institute on Economics and International Affairs and interned with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Juraj Hostak is from Bratislava and is attending a master’s program at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. He attended the Institute on Economics and International Affairs and interned with the Office of U.S. Congressman John Mica. He also arranged for the scholars to meet with Rep. Mica at the U.S. Capitol.
Lukas Prvy resides in Zurich but was born in Slovakia. He recently earned a Master’s Degree at the University of Amsterdam. Lukas participated in the Institute on Business and Government Affairs and interned with the Embassy of the Slovak Republic.
FOS extends its sincere thanks to the scholarship donors: Amb. Sedgwick; FOS Board member Richard Marko; the Slovak-American Foundation, which sponsored two scholars; and the many individual FOS supporters who contributed to the scholarship fund. Special thanks also to FOS Board member Scott Thayer and his wife Nena, who held a reception at their home in Bethesda, MD, on June 21 to welcome the scholars to Washington.