K-State students travel to Italy, Spain for new perspectives

Two Wildcats earned Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants to support their experiences.

Two Kansas State University students are experiencing new cultures, enhancing their education and advancing their career readiness this summer thanks to prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants.

Kristen Anders, senior in interior architecture, Castle Rock, Colorado, and Addison Sofia Brandau, sophomore in food and bakery science with minors in agricultural economics and Spanish, Overland Park, are two of only 75 recipients of the $1,000 grants this year.

The grants are designed to support undergraduate students from campuses that have Phi Kappa Phi chapters as they seek expanded knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Kristen Anders

Anders is studying abroad in Orvieto, Italy, through the Kansas State University in Italy program with the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. She is taking courses in watercolor and the anatomy of public space while experiencing the beauty and culture of Orvieto.

"I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and learn about another culture while continuing my academic journey," Anders said. "This award is so important in helping this experience come to life, and I am looking forward to taking this new perspective into my career and future design projects."

Anders serves as a student ambassador for the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. She has received the Sunflower State Award and the Alumni Association Wabash Cannonball Colorado Scholarship, as well as various recognitions from the college.

She attended Douglas County High School in Castle Rock and is the daughter of Marty and Jill Anders.

Addison Sofia Brandau

Brandau is spending the summer in northern Spain on a faculty-led trip to study Spanish and complete a research project studying the food from Navarra and the Basque Country of Spain under the mentorship of Rebecca Bender, associate professor of modern languages. She plans to create a "living" cookbook that includes recipes from locals she meets during her experience, anecdotes about meals and other educational experiences she has, and historical information about Basque cuisine.

Brandau has a passion for systems thinking and food security at local and international levels, an interest that was fueled by experiences like her participation in the Food Security Scholar program — a collaborative leadership development program addressing systemic issues of food insecurity — and her research about international food insecurity in Venezuela as a Borlaug Scholar under the World Food Prize. She also works as a lab manager at the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab led by Karen Blakeslee and Kelly Getty.

"Even before starting at K-State, I knew I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country as a culmination of my Spanish skills from high school and college," Brandau said. "Through diligent work in my Spanish classes and saving money from my two campus jobs as a resident assistant and lab manager at the Kansas Value Added Foods Lab, I was able to accomplish my goal of studying abroad the summer after my sophomore year here at K-State. This scholarship is an incredible honor as a recognition of my leadership skills, passion for learning and perseverance towards accomplishing my personal goal of studying abroad."

Her other campus involvement includes serving as social chair of the Bakery Science Club and secretary of the Food Science Club, and she is a member of the University Honors Program.

Brandau attended Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park and is the daughter of Rodney Brandau and Angie Smith.

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