North Toward Success

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:44:28 +0000

North Toward Success BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 06/05/2024 - 10:44

Junior receives Fulbright fellowship to fund semester in Canada

June 6, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

Genna Symonds, 鈥�25, is heading north of the border. Thanks to a prestigious fellowship, Genna will study in Canada, a country that she dreams of one day calling home.

Genna is among approximately 10 U.S. students receiving a Fulbright award through the Killam Fellowships Program to travel to Canada during the upcoming academic year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really rewarding and amazing that they picked me,鈥� said Genna, who is from Groveland and will attend the University of Ottawa for the fall semester. 鈥淚鈥檓 very excited.鈥�

BSU is one of the program's 16 founding partners among American universities. Administered by Fulbright Canada, Killam fellowships support American undergraduates studying in Canada and Canadian students attending college in the U.S. Several Bridgewater students previously received fellowships and BSU regularly hosts Canadian students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very prestigious award. It鈥檚 a highly selective process,鈥� said Dr. Andrew Holman, a history professor who coordinates the Canadian Studies program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real feather in our cap.鈥�

Holman said Bridgewater鈥檚 Killam success speaks to the quality of BSU students 鈥� and Genna is no exception.

鈥淪he strikes me as a self-starter, someone who doesn鈥檛 need a lot of prodding,鈥� said Holman, who also highlighted her self-confidence. 鈥淪he鈥檚 going to make a great ambassador for Bridgewater State.鈥�

Genna praised Holman鈥檚 guidance in reviewing a personal statement she wrote for the fellowship application process. Study Abroad Coordinator Emma Lynch and part-time Canadian Studies faculty member Eric Weeks also provided invaluable support, Genna said.

鈥淏ridgewater as a school has amazing opportunities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that they care about their students and want to set them up to succeed.鈥�

Although Genna has family living in Canada and previously visited the country, this will be a unique experience.

鈥淲hen they hear Canada, people think it鈥檚 just like America. But there are a lot of differences,鈥� said Genna, who will be studying at a French-English bilingual university. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to learn more French.鈥�

At the University of Ottawa, she will take classes in criminal justice and political science (her BSU major and minor, respectively), as well as film.

She also plans to join clubs, just as she has done at Bridgewater. Genna served as an orientation leader and is a member of BSU Dance Company. She works for the EXCEL Program and is part of Best Buddies, two organizations that support people with intellectual disabilities and have shaped her career interests.

Genna is eager to explore Ottawa鈥檚 cultural attractions and historic government buildings and travel within Canada. The fellowship offers a mobility grant in addition to the main $6,000 award, which Genna said makes studying abroad possible without adding an extra financial burden on her family.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really big honor and exciting that I get to represent Bridgewater in another country,鈥� she said.

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Bridgewater as a school has amazing opportunities. It鈥檚 clear that they care about their students and want to set them up to succeed.

Genna Symonds, 鈥�25

Alumna Earns Fulbright

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:33:16 +0000

Alumna Earns Fulbright BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 04/26/2022 - 11:33

Riley Lathrop, 鈥�20, uses movement to teach language

April 28, 2022

Brian Benson

As an undergraduate, Riley Lathrop, 鈥�20, studied how dance and movement aid in the teaching of English to non-native speakers. Now her innovative research has landed her a spot in a prestigious international academic exchange program.

The 茄子视频官网 graduate will spend the 2022-2023 academic year in Taiwan through the Fulbright Program鈥檚 English Teaching Assistant initiative.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have wanted to apply for this without the dance major (at BSU),鈥� said Lathrop, who is from Northampton and minored in management. 鈥淢y professors really helped me in guiding me in this very niche research I was doing.鈥�

She is the sixth BSU student or alumnus since 2017 to receive one of the U.S. State Department鈥檚 highly competitive Fulbright Awards for research or teaching. While they come from different disciplines, these Fulbright recipients all took advantage of BSU鈥檚 undergraduate research.

鈥淭he ethos on campus is one of really high-quality research and scholarship, including by undergraduate students doing work much closer to that of graduate students,鈥� said Dr. Jenny Shanahan, assistant provost for high-impact practices. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 only possible with excellent faculty mentorship.鈥�

What made Lathrop such a strong candidate was, in part, her aptitude for research as an undergraduate, which led her to spending five weeks in Indonesia volunteering to teach English to second graders.

鈥淪he had that distinctive idea that we are beings who learn by moving,鈥� Shanahan said. 鈥淏y incorporating dance and movement pedagogy into language learning, she鈥檚 creating a more accessible way to learn the language.鈥�

Lathrop praised the extensive support she received from Shanahan and Student Scholars Coordinator Sean Maguire in guiding her through the application process. Dance faculty Donna Dragon, Jody Weber and Kristy Kuhn Donnelly wrote letters of recommendation.

鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful, but I鈥檓 not surprised because Bridgewater is so supportive of students,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l always have a connection with Bridgewater.鈥�

In Taiwan, Lathrop will assist an English teacher, though she doesn鈥檛 know yet what grade level. No matter the age range, incorporating creative movement improves students鈥� emotional well-being, she said.

鈥淚 definitely want to integrate movement because learning English as a foreign language can be very emotionally draining and come with a lot of pressures,鈥� she said.

She might use rhythm to teach youngsters syllables or dance moves to help middle schoolers understand a poem.

Fulbright recipients act as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. Lathrop looks forward to learning the Mandarin language and Taiwanese dances and maybe even teaching dance while abroad.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a challenge and different, but I feel like this is the perfect time,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready for all this newness and all of the unknown.鈥�

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I wouldn鈥檛 have wanted to apply for this without the dance major. My professors really helped me in guiding me in this very niche research I was doing.

Riley Lathrop, 鈥�20