Two Nebraska Wesleyan University students have been selected for one of the most prestigious selective summer scholarship programs in the world.
Rachael Kirschenmann of Omaha and Rachel Schmitt of Lincoln will each travel to the United Kingdom for the Fulbright Summer Institute.
The Fulbright Summer Institute provides undergraduates with the opportunity to travel to the UK for academic and cultural programs. Nine summer Fulbright programs are offered with three to 10 students selected per program.
Kirschenmann is double majoring in history and music. She has been selected for the four-week program at the University of Bristol in an institute titled, “Slavery and the Atlantic Heritage.” She will conduct research on England’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. She will also participate in community service.
“I look forward to meeting and studying with other students from around the United States who are interested in the same areas as me,” she said.
Schmitt is majoring in biology with plans to pursue a career in medicine. She has been selected for the four-week program at Durham University in an institute titled, “The Northern Borders of Empire to the Making of the Middle Ages.” She will participate in a major archaeological project focused on the northern edges of the Roman Empire in Britain. She will participate in workshops and excavations.
“I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the UK culture and learn more about the UK’s rich history,” said Schmitt, whose brother was chosen for the same selective program in 2013. “I am excited to meet my cohorts and hope to make some lifelong friends.”
Four NWU students have been selected for the Fulbright Summer Institute. In addition to Kirschenmann and Schmitt, other recipients have included Matt Schmitt who was selected for the Durham University program in 2013 and Ross Mumford who was selected for the Shakespeare Globe Theatre program in 2012.