The Scholarship Impact Abroad
Every other summer, students journey from Chattanooga to Spain to take upper-level Spanish and culture classes. One of these trips included Jacqueline Alvarado, a senior Political Science major and first-generation college student at UTC. Jacqueline’s experience was made possible by the Alexander-Higham Fund for First Generation Study Abroad.
Drs. Michael Alexander and Carol Higham, husband and wife, who established the fund “want young people… to go out into the world and let it change them.”
Once a political science major at UTC, Dr. Alexander wished he had studied abroad as an undergraduate and describes his year conducting doctoral dissertation research in Tunisia as “the single most formative year in [his] adult life.” When discussing the impact he hopes this scholarship fund will have, Dr. Alexander said, “we want – we need – to create more young people who can simultaneously appreciate both the rich value of particular cultures and the fundamental qualities that we all share as humans.”
This scholarship has empowered me to pursue my dreams.
Jacqueline Alvarado
Political Science, Fall 2024
Nashville, TN
“Receiving this scholarship has been a transformative experience for me,” said Jacqueline as she recounted her time in Spain. Twenty miles outside of Madrid, at the Universidad de Alcala, Alvarado spent weeks immersed in the Spanish culture. “It opened my eyes to new perspectives, cultures and ways of thinking.”
When describing what it meant to have been awarded this scholarship, Jacqueline shared that it “represents more than just financial assistance – it is a representation of my resilience and determination to break new ground in my family.”
Planning on attending law school after graduation and focusing on law, Jacqueline descends from immigrant parents. “I’ve seen firsthand the challenges and obstacles that many in our community face. I have a passion for advocating on behalf of those who often feel voiceless.”
