Junior Emma Himes has received a place on a Fulbright Summer Institute to study at The University of Bristol.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers awards and summer programs for study or research in any field at any accredited US or UK university and promotes leadership, learning and empathy between nations. Himes has been selected from a competitive applicant pool to experience the UK on a four week summer program. Each year, the Commission supports around 60 UK and US undergraduate students.
“After studying United States reform literature regarding slavery, specifically, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, as an English major at UNL, I have become increasingly interested in the effects of slavery within the U.S. and its continued influence into the identity of the United States race relations," Himes said. "This winter, I worked as an ambassador for the U.S. Department of State’s Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI) program, which brought twenty students from countries of southern Africa to UNL. From these twenty leaders of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, and Botswana, I learned many perspectives from my peers of colonized countries.
"This summer, I have the opportunity to expand the knowledge of I have learned from the SUSI participants and from American literature. I am very interested to learn the perspectives of the colonizer in Bristol this summer during the Fulbright Institute. I hope that this opportunity will lead to my study of U.S. history and literature within an English and Digital Humanities Masters Program following graduation from the University."
The institute is focused on Slavery and Atlantic Heritage, relating Bristol as a port city to the triangle slave trade between the UK, Western Africa, and United States plantations.
The Commission selects participants through a rigorous application and interview process. It looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.
Taken from a press release written by the Fulbright Commission.
