Manship senior awarded Fulbright Binational Internship
04/24/2016
Manship and Ogden Honors College senior has been awarded a Fulbright Binational Internship in Mexico. Richardson is a native
of Shreveport, La., and applied to be a Fulbright Scholar for a few reasons, 鈥淚 wanted
to go abroad and be able to use my Spanish speaking skills and I also wanted more
practical research experience,鈥� said Richardson.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international education exchange program. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Participants are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential.
Richardson is involved all over 海角社区鈥檚 campus: she鈥檚 the Editor-in-Chief of Gumbo, 海角社区鈥檚 yearbook; she鈥檚 involved in College Dems and founded Geaux Vote 海角社区; serves as a student ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation and works at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber as a communications intern.
Richardson鈥檚 internship will take place in Mexico City for 10 months where she鈥檒l be placed in an internship and take graduate classes. 鈥淭he whole idea is to use the skills that I鈥檝e learned at the Manship School to get practical experience and practical binational experience between Mexico and the U.S.,鈥� she said.
When Richardson found out she was a Fulbright Scholar after a 10 month application period, she was overtaken with emotion. 鈥淚 cried because I won and I wasn鈥檛 expecting to get it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was at work when I got the email and it was just a really great moment because I wasn鈥檛 expecting it.鈥�
Richardson originally planned on attending law school after graduating this spring, but now those plans will be put on hold for a year until after the completion of her Fulbright Binational Internship in Mexico. After completing her Fulbright internship, Richardson still plans to attend law school, focusing on civil rights law and voting rights.
鈥淭his is exactly what I want to do,鈥� said Richardson.鈥� 鈥淏eing able to work with a company outside of the U.S. doing the things I鈥檓 passionate about such as civic engagement and corporate responsibility.鈥�
Richardson will be fulfilling her proposal of being a communications intern for a company or non-profit in Mexico that she鈥檒l be placed in. 鈥淚鈥檒l find out in June where I鈥檒l be placed because there鈥檚 a matching process I鈥檒l have to go through,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l interview with a few companies and then I鈥檒l choose my preference and they鈥檒l chooses theirs and I鈥檒l be matched up that way, then my internship will officially begin.鈥�