In being offered a prestigious Fulbright Program for U.S. Students award to spend a year in Spain, Murfreesboro resident and MTSU senior Kim Yarborough hopes “she can make a difference in peoples’ lives over there.”
Yarborough, 21, formerly from Nashville and a May 7 degree candidate, learned recently she received the Fulbright, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She was awarded an English teaching assistantship for the 2011-12 academic year.
“The point of the Fulbright is to foster cross-cultural understanding,” she said, speaking just before attending the College of Liberal Arts Awards Day April 18. “The main goal is not just teach English, but build relationships and present a positive image of the U.S.”
“I feel really honored,” added Yarborough, who has been a University Honors College program participant with a double major in international relations and Spanish and a minor in economics. “I was really nervous about it (waiting to receive word of acceptance). I feel fortunate to get the opportunity to go to Spain.”
Yarborough said she will be in Spain’s Cantabria region in a yet-to-be-named city and high school.
“I do Model UN at MTSU and I go to conferences,” she said. “I just found out students over there participate in Model UN, so I’m excited to know that.”
“The international relations program attracts exceptional students,” said Dr. Karen K. Peterson, associate professor in political science. “Kim is a perfect example. She is a hard-working intelligent student with a welcoming personality. We have traveled to Model UN tournaments and she never fails to make friends. Her experiences abroad are indicative of her energy and enthusiasm for all things international.”
In addition to the Fulbright, Yarborough received the Outstanding Student in Spanish award from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures during Liberal Arts Awards Day.
In spring 2010, Yarborough spent a semester interning at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., where she worked on the White House initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, and in fall 2008 she spent an additional semester in Argentina, where she further developed her love for the Spanish language, Honors College Dean John Vile said.
“I have had a lot of great opportunities,” said Yarborough, who is the daughter of LaDonna and Rayburn Yarborough of Nashville.
Yarborough added that she plans to pursue her master’s in foreign service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Her next career goal is to work in a U.S. embassy abroad, possibly in the field of economics or work with an NGO (non-governmental organization), nonprofit or any other international organization..
MTSU Fulbright applicants work through the Undergraduate Fellowships Office in the Honors College. They work under the direction of Laura Clippard, who notes that two MTSU students, Kaitlin Howell and Eric Little, currently are serving as Fulbright Scholars in Germany and Portugal, respectively, and two other MTSU students, Christopher Watkins and Patrick Pratt, are awaiting word about their Fulbright awards from possible host countries.
Fulbright Scholars serve in 155 different countries.
“One of the greatest goals of the Honors College is to see that MTSU students compete for national scholarships,” Vile said. “MTSU’s increased emphasis on foreign languages, multiculturalism and study abroad programs all have made students more competitive for national and international awards.” |
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