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By Jackie Torok / 12/19/2024 Students, Honors College
EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Dec. 19, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University undergraduate student Kennedy Williams has been named the 2024 recipient of the English-Speaking Union of the United States (ESU) Luard Morse Scholarship – the second in the university’s history.
Williams, of Hastings, Florida, and daughter of Marcus and Chamane Williams, is studying biology in the College of Science and Technology. As the 88th ESU Luard Morse Scholarship recipient, she will receive up to $30,000 to cover her spring 2025 semester at Queen Mary University London.
“Kennedy represents the highest caliber of student-scholars our nation has to offer,” said Darrell W. Hill, chair of the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Committee. “The ESU is honored to support her educational efforts as she broadens her horizons with this study abroad opportunity to the United Kingdom. Now more than ever, the need for global dialogue and relationships between people is critical to a peaceful future.”
Williams received the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship, J.B. Howroyd Scholarship from N.C. A&T’s Department of Biology and a Thurgood Marshall College Fund All-Around Access Scholarship. As an A&T Scientific Research Preparatory Program Scholar, she investigated both the proteomic difference between young and old skin tissue that occurs during the remodeling stage of tissue repair as part of a wound healing research project and nanoscale thin layers as part of a functionalized surfaces research project.
“Studying abroad will provide me with a platform to explore unique courses, undertake projects in a distinct academic setting, and gain insights into various healthcare systems that may not be readily available in my home country,” said Williams. “My goals for studying abroad encompass cultural enrichment, academic advancement and personal growth. As an ESU Luard Morse Scholar, I am investing in my future and solidifying my commitment to a career in public health.”
Since 1969, the ESU has provided Luard Morse Scholarships to second-year undergraduates pursuing a four-year degree in any discipline at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) to study at an eligible university in the United Kingdom for one semester in their third year.
This cycle also marked the first time A&T had more than one student apply for endorsement for this prestigious national scholarship. It also was the first time more than one Aggie received a finalist interview invitation. Only four students from HBCUs are named as finalists each year.
Williams and Kawama Wilson, a February One Scholar studying elementary education in the College of Education (COEd), were fully funded for a two-day visit to New York City which included meals, a group outing, and a finalist selection interview and as 2024 ESU Luard Morse Scholarship finalists. Wilson, of Newark, New Jersey, is the daughter of David and Ama Wilson.
Ashley Davis, who is studying psychology in the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences from Oakwood Village, Ohio, also received a finalist interview invitation. She is the daughter of Rick Davis and Shevette Brooks-Davis.
Shang Andrews ‘24, the 2022 ESU Luard Morse Scholarship recipient who graduated with a B.S. in computer engineering from the College of Engineering, was the first finalist and first applicant from A&T since the program’s inception.
Lanise Myers, a fourth-year kinesiology student in the Hairston College from Charlotte, North Carolina, and daughter of Carl and Lativia Myers, was the university’s second applicant and finalist in 2023. She was named an alternate.
All finalists have been members of A&T’s Honors College. Endorsement for the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship is open to and encouraged from all eligible students in all A&T colleges.
“Kennedy, Kawama, and Ashley, as well as Lanise and Shang, share a robust appetite for cross-cultural engagement, and I am proud of how they each represented Aggieland with the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship program,” said Alsace-Lorraine Gallop, A&T’s National Scholarships and Fellowships Coordinator and Fulbright Program Adviser in NCAT Extraordinary Opportunities (NCAT EO).
Founded in 1920, the ESU is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that employs English as a catalyst to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators and members.
All A&T finalists for the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship applied for and received endorsement through NCAT EO. Current first-year undergraduates and faculty should email Gallop at acgallop@ncat.edu to learn more about the required endorsement application process for this program and more than 70 other externally funded and nationally competitive prestigious domestic and global programs open to students and alumni.
Media Contact Information: jtorok@ncat.edu
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