Fulbright participant off to Wales in June

DAWSON RASPUZZI


Tuesday May 31, 2011
BENNINGTON -- Weeks after completing her freshman year of college, Jordan Shapiro, of Bennington, will take on a rare opportunity to expand her knowledge of history at three of the most prestigious universities in Wales as part of the Fulbright Summer Institute partnership program this summer.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission scholarship will allow Shapiro, an 18-year-old history and psychology major at University of Rochester in New York, to spend six weeks in Wales where she will learn about the country's culture, history, economy, and politics at Cardiff University, Bangor University, and Aberystwyth University.
"One of the great things this program focuses on ... is the aspect of Welsh history and international relations and all the social sciences, which are my passions," said Shapiro, a 2010 graduate of Long Trail School in Dorset.
Prior to applying for the program, Shapiro said she wasn't very aware of Welsh history, but she has studied it in preparation for the trip and is anxious to learn more in the cities that shaped it.
"One of the things that I'm looking forward to is that Welsh history and English history is closely tied to American history, obviously, and I know in New England we have a lot of people with Welsh descent. The Granville (N.Y.) slate mines were started by the Welsh, so it will be very interesting for me to correlate the two histories as well as the people and to better understand Americans through the Welsh," she said.
Additionally, Shapiro said she is interested in gaining a better understanding of European government systems in her first time visiting the continent.
"Most of their democracies are parliament systems so I'm excited to see how their bureaucracy compares to ours and how that shapes the region," she said.
Shapiro said she expects the six weeks will include some instruction in classroom or seminar settings, but also hands-on learning and visits to Welsh history museums, parks, castles and islands.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission was created in 1948 and is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship program that offers awards and summer programs for study or research at accredited US or UK universities. The commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.
Fulbright scholarships are awarded to about 50 college students in the UK and US each year.
Shapiro said she learned of the opportunity, which begins during the last week of June, when the college sent emails to all freshmen and sophomores. At first she was skeptical about applying, but with advice from her mother she was persuaded. After filling out a self-evaluation style application and writing two essays, Shapiro then had to do a phone interview with UK representatives of the Fulbright Committee, who asked what she thought she could gain from the experience and future aspirations.
"I was pretty nervous because I'd never done a phone interview before," Shapiro said in what was at least her second interview by phone.
In selecting Fulbright scholars, the commission considers not only academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Program and a plan to give back to the recipient's home country upon returning.
Nearly 300,000 people worldwide have participated in the Fulbright Program. Of these alumni, approximately 15,000 UK nationals have studied in the US and nearly 12,000 Americans have studied in the UK through the educational exchange program.
The commission is funded partially by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in the UK and the US Department of State, with additional support coming from a variety of individual and institutional partners.
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at draspuzzi@benningtonbanner.com