By Whitney Hale
University of Kentucky juniors Shania Goble, of Inez, Kentucky, and Katie Huffman, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, have been awarded English-Speaking Union (ESU) Scholarships presented by the English-Speaking Union Kentucky Branch. The scholarships will cover Goble and Huffman's expenses for summer study at Oxford University.
The Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union awards a limited number of scholarships to qualified Kentucky college students for courses offered at institutions in the United Kingdom. Scholarship awards include tuition, lodging and meals for three-week courses at the recipient's chosen institution. Scholarships also include one week of lodging in London and a cash allowance.
ESU scholarships are awarded for studies in English literature, history and social sciences at Oxford, Cambridge or Edinburgh University for the summer of 2019. Scholarship winners, selected through an essay and interview process for the program, are expected to become articulate lifelong ambassadors for British/American cultural exchanges.
Goble’s scholarship will fund three weeks of history, politics and society studies at Oxford and much more. “The scholarship will provide me with a number of opportunities. Being an ambassador for the English-Speaking Union, I will have the opportunity to learn more about the promotion of peace through civil discussion. By learning about the British culture, I hope to increase my cultural understanding and empathy skills. I hope to use this understanding to learn how to relate to potential clients that I may have in the future, when I practice law.”
The daughter of Denver and Hazel Goble, of Inez, Goble is majoring in English and history at UK. The junior says she selected her areas of study because she has always loved learning through stories.
“I chose history and English because I come from a region in Eastern Kentucky, where these two subjects are fundamental to daily life. I grew up hearing stories, and I've seen the way that the tradition of storytelling can change lives and connect entire groups of people,” Goble explained.
The first in her family to go to college, Goble credits Martina Martin and Jimmie Jones from UK's First Generation Community as influential mentors at the university, as well Associate Professors of History Erik Myrup and Bruce Holle and Professor of Spanish Literature Ana Rueda, the John E. Keller Endowed Professor.
Outside of her studies, Goble has also interned at Teeters and May in Paintsville, Kentucky, where she shadowed attorney Brandon May.
After completing her bachelor’s degrees, Goble plans to attend law school. She hopes to specialize in personal injury and medical malpractice and eventually open her own practice.
Huffman’s scholarship will fund three weeks of literature studies at Oxford. The daughter of Tina and Dudley Huffman Jr., of Harrodsburg, is pursuing a major in English and minor in gender and women's studies at UK.
“I was driven to be an English major, because I have always had a strong love of words, especially books,” the junior said. “I believe language and communication are so vital to the human experience, and my major allows me to grapple with that idea on a daily basis.”
Huffman recently completed a semester-long internship as a marketing intern with University Press of Kentucky, another perfect fit for the book lover. “Even from a young age, I have always loved to read. Reading opened up so many doors for me and really instilled a great love of words in me.”
The scholarship recipient counts Associate Professor of English Michelle Sizemore and Assistant Professor of English Rynetta Davis as mentors during her time at UK. “They have continued to be wonderful mentors throughout my undergraduate career,” Huffman said. “I have learned so very much by taking various courses with each of them throughout my time in college, and their general care for their students shows!”
Huffman is scheduled to complete her bachelor’s degree May 2020.
The ESU 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. Headquartered in New York City, the organization implements programs through a network of 60+ branches throughout the United States.
The Kentucky branch of the ESU was chartered in 1923 by local business and civic leaders. Since 1964, more than 500 Kentucky teachers and college students have been awarded scholarships by the Kentucky branch of the ESU.
Goble and Huffman applied for the ESU Scholarship through the UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, part of the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence within the Division of Student and Academic Life at UK. The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards assists current UK undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external scholarships and fellowships 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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