Fulbrighter on her way...finally

After months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Youngstown State University graduate Emily Henline finally gets to fulfill her Fulbright scholarship as she travels to South Korea this month.

Nearly a year ago, Henline was named a scholar in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, considered one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world. She was selected to pursue a master’s degree in Korean Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, starting Fall 2020. 

An English and Education major, Henline earned her bachelor’s degree and graduated from YSU in May 2020, but she deferred the start of the Fulbright to 2021 due to pandemic travel restrictions.

She now leaves for South Korea on Feb. 7 and must register a negative COVID-19 test to be admitted to the country. Upon arrival, she will go through various health screenings and take another COVID test, and then head to her place of residence for a two-week mandatory quarantine. The Spring semester at Yonsei starts March 1.

It will be a return trip to South Korea for Henline. She spent the 2017-18 academic year studying abroad at Yonsei University as a Gilman Scholar, focusing on Korean history, cultures and language. Her Fulbright study will focus on linguistic imperialism and Korean language identity.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, started in 1946, offers research, study and teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. Fewer than 2,000 awards are presented annually.