LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 5, 2025) — Olivia Walton, a junior from Bardstown, Kentucky, has received an English-Speaking Union Scholarship.
The English-Speaking Union of the United States is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, educational service organization whose mission is to promote scholarship and the advancement of knowledge through the effective use of English in an expanding global community. The Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union awards scholarships for juniors to take summer courses offered at three institutions in the United Kingdom: Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh universities.
The scholarship covers all tuition and expenses for the student’s experience abroad.
Walton, an English and political science double major in the UK College of Arts and Sciences and a Chellgren Fellow, will study at Oxford for three weeks in July, and will attend seminars on close reading, Shakespeare and film. She said this will be her first trip outside of the United States.
“I am most looking forward to seeing different ways of life,” Walton said. “I am excited to be immersed in another country’s culture for an extended period of time. With this being an educational trip, I am looking forward to appreciation and knowledge being the core focus on the experience. I am also very much looking forward to exploring the Oxford’s historic campus and having classmates that come from all around the world.”
While at Oxford, Walton will take two English courses: a critical reading seminar in British literature and a class on the intersection of Shakespeare and film.
“I hope to deepen my understanding of modern English by examining iconic works of literature in the country where the English literary tradition began,” she said. “I am also excited to expand my knowledge of film as a means of storytelling in the seminar focused on Shakespeare and film. I think this course will give me valuable insights into the intersection of literature and cinematic storytelling.”
After graduation, Walton said she plans on attending graduate school to earn a master’s degree in public administration, and then hopes to work for local or state government or at a nonprofit organization as a project planner or public relations specialist.
To learn more about the English-Speaking Union Scholarship, visit the UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards website.
About the UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards
The UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards assists current undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external fellowships scholarships funded by sources (such as a nongovernment foundation or government agency) outside the university. These major awards honor exceptional students across the nation. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with the office’s director, Pat Whitlow, well in advance of the scholarship deadline.
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