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Cullman Scholarship
An Immersion in Journalism
Emma ’21 immersed herself in campus life from day one at KUA. A natural-born leader, she is active in the yearbook, newspaper, Farm Team, Theater Activity, Selects, the Queer-Straight Alliance, and the Writing Center, as well as head of the Honor Board. A day student, McGonigle received a Cullman Scholarship and completed The New York Times Summer Academy.
Why did you choose a program with The New York Times? I had enjoyed consuming media and had a passion for freedom of speech. I’ve always been politically and socially active. Honing in on my skills felt important. I won an award in eighth grade for an article on mental illness, so I guess I’ve taken some baby steps toward being a journalist. Before this program I thought about going to medical school to be a psychologist. I think that’s changed.
Were you able to connect with teachers and classmates? I had to attend the program virtually at home in Vermont. Our teachers were all over the country and our classmates were spread around the world. All of these incredible people had good stories to tell themselves. We were able to form these bonds because we had similar goals and aspirations. There was a willingness to discuss and a mutual respect.
What type of courses did you take? I got into the foreign correspondence program, which was my dream program. We learned about the technical process of reporting, ethics, and how to be a good storyteller. We got to meet a lot of incredible people. I did a live interview with someone in the Harsham Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Iraq. He’s a computer science major, and I got to hear his story and his perspective on the world. It took him two hours each way to go to school. It’s like we are living on two different planets. His story was heartbreaking and inspiring. That was my favorite experience of the course.
Any key takeaways from the program? I did a photojournalism project with Tara Todras- Whitehall. I’m more of a notebook-and-pencil type of gal, which was good because you write about what you know to get started. I wrote about life on a mountain farm in Vermont. My homework was to sit and observe—dripping water, cat meows—just observe and be a part of it. It made me observe the beauty of my life. K
KUA Activities: Yearbook, Newspaper, Farm Team Theater Activity, QueerStraight Alliance Writing Center Head of the Honor Board 2020 Cullman Scholar Valedictorian
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Countries visited by Cullman Scholars since program began
The Cullman Scholarship
Created in 1983 by Hugh Cullman ’42, the Cullman Scholarship Program supports students in off-campus study opportunities. Previous recipients pursued courses of study ranging from serving as an international physician’s assistant in Warsaw, Poland, to studying microfinance in Kathmandu, Nepal. Last year, faculty representatives selected the 2021 scholarship recipients.
2021 Scholars:
Aidan ’22: Bird watching, nature photography, and climate studies in Arizona Ariatnny ’23: Shadowing a Doctor: Global PreMed in the Dominican Republic Ben ’22: Working on conservation with the U.S. National Parks Helena ’22 : Studying with the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab and the Western Colorado Conservation Corps Libby ’22: Studying neuroscience at Harvard Summer School, researching epilepsy at Korle-Bu Hospital, and performing community service in COVID-19 Safety in Ghana Margaret ’22: Shadowing a Doctor: Global PreMed in the Dominican Republic Sebastian ’22: Supporting solar energy and working with Resilient Power Puerto Rico on energy incubation Sophie ’22: Working with Grassroots Soccer to combat HIV in South Africa Shannon ’22: Working with the Nature & Climate Project in Iceland Yohan ’22: Studying Community, Leadership, and Politics at George Washington University and volunteering at the Public Policy Office of Korean Congress in Seoul
