{"id":58750,"date":"2024-04-17T10:15:14","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T14:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=58750"},"modified":"2024-04-30T13:12:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:12:22","slug":"capstone-achievement-utcs-emma-sprayberry-lands-fulbright-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/capstone-achievement-utcs-emma-sprayberry-lands-fulbright-scholarship\/","title":{"rendered":"Capstone achievement: UTC\u2019s Emma Sprayberry lands Fulbright Scholarship"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Emma

Emma Sprayberry, who will be graduating from UTC in May, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Taiwan for the 2024-2025 academic year. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the most highly decorated students in recent University of Tennessee at Chattanooga history has received another prestigious award before her time as an undergraduate comes to a close.<\/p>\n

Senior Emma Sprayberry, an Innovations in Honors student in the UTC Honors College majoring in both humanities: international studies (with an emphasis on Asian studies) and Spanish, along with a minor in anthropology, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship<\/strong><\/a> to Taiwan for the 2024-2025 academic year.<\/p>\n

Later this summer, Sprayberry\u2014who graduates from UTC on Saturday, May 4\u2014will travel to Taiwan to teach English while representing the U.S. as a cultural ambassador.<\/p>\n

And to think, when she first started at UTC in fall 2020, \u201cI didn\u2019t even think I would get an opportunity to travel out of the country because it was during COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I don\u2019t really understand the weight of the Fulbright name. I\u2019m still kind of processing it,\u201d said Sprayberry, who grew up in nearby Rossville, Georgia, and is a 2020 graduate of Chattanooga Christian School. \u201cBut getting the Fulbright is amazing. I know it\u2019s a really great fellowship.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, providing awards to approximately 8,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals each year.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program has partnerships with more than 135 countries worldwide to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be awarded a Fulbright scholarship is a capstone achievement for undergraduate students. It\u2019s one of the most prestigious nationally competitive awards in the United States,\u201d said Dr. Trey Straussberger, director of the UTC Office of National Scholarships.\u00a0\u201cJust as importantly, it serves as one of the most effective means of diplomacy for the U.S. government.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmma is a truly tremendous person and student, and I think she will be a future leader in U.S. diplomacy abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Sprayberry\u2019s notification letter, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chair Donna Brazile said the award \u201cis a reflection of your leadership and contributions to society.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Fulbrighter, you will join the ranks of many distinguished program participants,\u201d Brazile wrote. \u201cFulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists and teachers. They include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emma

Emma Sprayberry<\/p><\/div>\n

During her time at UTC, Sprayberry has had storied success in landing national competitive awards and participating in study-abroad opportunities. Her travels have taken her to Korea, Germany, Canada, Spain and Panama, and she has been the recipient of the following:<\/p>\n