FAMU alumna and Florida State University doctoral candidate
Kendra Mitchell was awarded a grant from the prestigious and highly competitive
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Mitchell is a graduate of FAMU’s Department of
English and Modern Languages.The core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides approximately 800 teaching and research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. Mitchell is one of the 10 U.S. students selected as a part of the English Teaching Assistantship Program.
Mitchell follows in the footsteps of two other recent FAMU scholars who received Fulbright grants. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering doctoral candidate Renee Gordon and biochemistry professor Ngozi Ugochukwu, were named Fulbright Scholars in 2014. They are conducting research on the indigenous resources of Nigeria.
Mitchell will represent the country as a cultural ambassador
as she provides assistance to local English teachers while overseas for nine
months, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and the
people of South Africa.
Mitchell’s story of her path from FAMU to a Fulbright
Scholar reads like that of most FAMU students. More than 65 percent of FAMU
students come from families with an income of below $40,000 annually. At FAMU,
Mitchell struggled to find the resources to pay her bills. Through her
perseverance, academic acumen, and the help of then-Vice President for
University Relations Col. (Ret.) Ronald Joe, she won a Ford scholarship.
“Without the care and nurturing I received while at FAMU, I
never would have been able to fulfill my dream of getting a college degree or
dared to pursue the Fulbright,” said Mitchell.
“I hope my story can inspire others who are struggling to achieve their
dreams, never to give up, and to take full advantage of every opportunity
afforded them.”
In addition to receiving a Ford scholarship, Mitchell also
became a McNair Fellow. As a McNair Fellow, she conducted research and made
presentations at national conferences, publishing her findings in the 2006
McNair Journal. Mitchell’s success at FAMU did not stop at winning these two
prestigious awards, she went on to win first place at the 37th Annual Writers
Conference and Workshop for her poem, “Window Seat.” She graduated summa cum
laude from FAMU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Her academic success
led her to earn a master’s degree in English and a certificate in editing at
FSU, along with other departmental and national awards of note. She is set to
graduate later this year with her doctorate in English.
“Mitchell’s success represents the transformation that we
help our students undergo every day at FAMU,” said FAMU President Elmira Mangum.
“More than two-thirds of our students come from low-income families. Most are
first-generation students. What distinguishes FAMU from most other institutions
is our unique ability to provide underserved individuals with access and
opportunity to a world-class education at an affordable cost, who later go on
to graduate from FAMU earning more than their entire family.”