Smith is a Spanish and international studies double major and has already done extensive traveling as part of her Allegheny learning experience. “Thanks to Allegheny, I was able to have some really incredible international experiences that I don’t think would have been possible if I went to another university,” she says.
Allegheny College graduate Emily Smith left for Brazil in February 2020 after receiving a Fulbright award to serve as an English teaching assistant at a Brazilian university.
“I will be teaching English classes in various subjects, and I will be spending another 20 hours per week developing and implementing a project of my choice either at my university or in my local community,” says Smith, who is from Williamsville, New York. “I should receive the information about the city where I will be living and working by the end of the summer [2019].”
Smith is one of about 2,100 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research, and teach abroad for the 2019–2020 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as their record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.
Smith says she was motivated to apply for the Fulbright to further her Portuguese language study and “begin to learn about an incredibly diverse country that is such an important player in Latin America and the world.” Smith is a Spanish and international studies double major and has already done extensive traveling as part of her Allegheny learning experience. “Thanks to Allegheny, I was able to have some really incredible international experiences that I don’t think would have been possible if I went to another university,” she says.
Her senior thesis project looked at Colombian and Peruvian migration to Chile over the last 30 years and contributes importantly to an evolving field of research. She is poised to benefit enormously from a Fulbright year in the largest and most populous Latin American country, and one that is not Spanish-speaking. So as Emily teaches English in Brazil, she will also be continuing to learn Brazilian Portuguese and deepening her understanding of Brazilian society and cultures. As part of the Global Citizens Scholars Program, Smith received funding to do an independent study abroad program in the fall of 2017 in Valparaíso, Chile, during her junior year. She also had the opportunity to attend a conference in June 2018 in Pune, India, with Professor Reeck.
In January 2019, she joined the Global Citizens Scholars Program for a week-long trip to the U.S.-Mexican border to learn about some of the pressing issues regarding border security and spent a day in Nogales, Mexico. “As a graduating senior, the International Studies Program continues to support me — I received a grant from the department which will allow me to take Portuguese classes in preparation for my time in Brazil. I truly believe that Allegheny is unique in that it supports students in all of their interests and provides them with unique opportunities in their field of study,” says Smith.