Chandler Vaughan ’21 selected for Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute

Chandler Vaughan ’21 will study this summer at the University of Bristol through the program, which is sponsored by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission. She becomes the second student selected in recent years for the prestigious program. 

​​Chandler Vaughan ’21 has been selected to study at the University of Bristol this summer through the Fulbright Summer Institute, one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating worldwide. The program is sponsored by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission.

Chandler Vaughan ’21

The U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission is the only bilateral, transatlantic scholarship program offering awards and summer programs for study or research in any field at any accredited university in the United States or the United Kingdom. The commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Sen. J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.

Award recipients and summer program participants will be the future leaders for tomorrow and support the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.

Selected from a strong applicant pool, Vaughan will experience the United Kingdom during the four-week cultural and academic summer program. The program at the University of Bristol is one of nine in the U.K., and has a focus on the intersection of arts, activism and social justice. During the program, students will focus on how literature, music, visual arts, poetry, storytelling, dance, philosophy and critical social theories have shaped movements for social justice around the globe, with particular attention to racial justice and the legacies of slavery, according to the program.

Vaughan will participate in seminars focused on arts and activism across geographic and historical locations, as well as on Bristol’s role in transatlantic enslavement. The program includes workshops with artists, entrepreneurs and activists from the arts and voluntary sectors of Bristol.

Originally from Charlotte, Vaughan is a Leadership Fellow and a member of the Phi Eta Sigma honor society who is majoring in policy studies. “The Bristol Summer Institute will provide me with a transformational experience that will build upon my understanding of social change and justice,” Vaughan said of the program. “Since Bristol is abundant in resources and history related to colonialism, racial justice and slavery, and environmental sustainability, I will gain an insider’s view of the social worlds of the U.K.”

Vaughan expects to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the transatlantic slave trade and the reconciliation process, and looks to mirror or adapt the reconciliation tactics employed in Bristol to repair the damage done to marginalized communities in the U.S. “I will have the time to absorb the environment and culture around me, and witness my grasp of social activism expand,” she said.

The U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission selects participants for the summer institute through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the commission looks for academic excellence and a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright program and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

Vaughan is the second Elon student to be selected for the Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute, following Bridgette Agbozo ’19, who participated in 2017.

Fulbright Summer Institutes cover all participant costs. In addition, Fulbright summer participants receive a distinctive support and cultural education program including visa processing, a comprehensive predeparture orientation, enrichment opportunities in country, a re-entry session and the opportunity to join program alumni networks.

Elon students interested in the Fulbright program are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office.