Emerson Foriest, like a lot of college students, came to East Tennessee State University eager to learn and get involved. A semester abroad at the American College of Greece in Athens felt right up her alley. But it wasn’t her time in Greece that started her journey to becoming a Fulbright semifinalist. It was the two weeks after, spent exploring the home of the English Romantic movement.
“Following my visit to the Lake countryside, I had to get back to England,” the English major said.
Foriest found out about the Fulbright Award from a family friend who won the program’s English Teaching Assistant scholarship and shared their experience.
“I knew the Fulbright was my avenue to further my education and return to England,” Foriest said.
As she brainstormed ideas on what to research, Foriest knew she wanted to make the most of her strengths while shining light on a topic that doesn’t get much attention.
“I observed that the Lake District poets, who played a crucial role in my high school education, and Appalachian poets, who influenced my college education, both emphasize landscape and place,” she reflected. “I discovered that the precedent set by the Romantic writers had yet to be mapped onto Appalachian voices.”
While searching for a place to do her research, Foriest realized she didn’t have a lot of options. The University of Cumbria, Ambleside is the only school located in the Lake District with a program focused on its literature.
With the two biggest factors decided, Foriest began the process of applying for the award. It is a lengthy and often daunting process, but Foriest didn’t have to do it alone. Her professors in the Department of Literature and Language allowed her to bounce ideas off them, while others with the Office of Prestigious Awards helped with time management and writing well-polished essays.
While becoming a finalist would mean putting her postgraduate life on hold for a year, she’s excited to potentially study in the same place where some of her favorite works were written.
“I am excited to be enveloped in the beautiful countryside and environment of my favorite poets, who lived and wrote in the Lake District region,” Foriest said. “I yearn for the inspiration that struck them to strike me.”
Once she returns, she plans to dive right into some longtime aspirations while continuing her academic journey.
“I hope to develop my art in a professional capacity, take up the mantle of mom, begin a career in teaching and eventually present research at a Ph.D. level,” Foriest said.
Foriest is just one of eight Fulbright semifinalists from ETSU this year alone, the result of an ever-growing commitment to preparing students to study and compete at an elite level no matter their interests or background.
