Loyola student first to win UK Fulbright Summer Award to study in Bristol
| By Stephanie Weaver
Michelle Reilly, ’20, won a UK Fulbright Summer Award to study at the University of Bristol’s Summer Institute Program. Reilly, from Miami, Fla., is the first Loyola student to win this award.
The UK Fulbright Summer Institutes are 3- to 4- week programs for American undergraduate studies who want to experience higher education at a UK university. The Bristol Summer program explores the intersection of arts, activism, and social justice. Topics include racial justice and slavery, migration and refugees, and environmental sustainability. Students will take part in seminars, workshops, and cultural excursions, including an archaeological dig, a night at the theatre, and a day trip to explore London.
“The UK Fulbright Summer Awards offer exciting opportunities for first-year and sophomore students to envision their lives in an international context and explore the topic of their interest with other globally minded students,” said Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, J.D., interim director of National Fellowships. “This award is highly competitive and gives a strong foundation for students to continue to pursue other major fellowships, such as Fulbright award to do research or teach English abroad after graduation.”
Reilly is excited for the excursions and plans to fully immerse herself in British culture while abroad.
“I wanted to apply to the University of Bristol’s Summer Institute Program because of the intersectional study with a special focus on social justice and activism using the arts, and an academic and experiential approach to understanding structured legacies and systems, particularly from the transatlantic slave trade,” said Reilly.
Reilly hopes to further her research and education after she graduates from Loyola in 2020 by applying to additional fellowship and research programs, or by pursuing a master’s degree.