Evelyn Tonn, a University of Central Florida senior and political science major in the Burnett Honors College, has been awarded the National Security Education Program’s David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship to study Arabic at the University of Jordan.

Tonn was accepted into the Council for International Education Exchange at the University of Jordan, where she will study during the 2006-07 academic year.

The council immerses students in modern standard Arabic and colloquial Jordanian Arabic. The program includes cultural activities and excursions, a guest lecture series and volunteer and internship opportunities. Students stay with a host family.

Tonn, of Sarasota, credits her ambition to her father, an intelligence agent who also worked for the State Department. After determining at a young age that she wanted to be just like her father, she decided in high school to pursue a career in international relations.

Houman Sadri, Tonn’s mentor for her undergraduate research and thesis as well as the founder and faculty advisor for Model UN, wrote her recommendation for the scholarship. “She is a very well-rounded student,” Sadri said. “She is involved in the Model UN here at UCF as well as active in the community. She was an ideal candidate for the award.”

Recipients of the $20,000 scholarship study languages and cultures that are critical to U.S. national security, but are rarely pursued in study-abroad programs. The scholarships are given to about 150 students nationwide each year. Tonn is the second UCF student to receive the award. Cassandra Long received the scholarship in 2005 to study Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Foreign Studies University in China.

After recipients graduate, they are required to work for one year for the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security or Department of State, or in another federal intelligence-related job.

Tonn, who was crowned the 2005 Miss St. Petersburg, will return to UCF to complete her studies. She hopes to attend Yale University or Georgetown University to study international law.

“I think that this will be a great experience,” she said. “It will increase my cultural awareness and also provide a stepping stone for me to continue my studies at a prestigious university.”