St. Olaf student selected for summer Fulbright program in Scotland
St. Olaf College student Nick Tomhave ’18 has been selected to participate in the Fulbright-Scotland Summer Institute, a five-week cultural and academic program for U.S. students held at University of Dundee and the University of Strathclyde.
The Fulbright-Scotland Summer Institute is one of several programs offered through the US-UK Fulbright Commission, which was created in 1948 to promote leadership and foster mutual cultural understanding through educational exchange between the US and the UK.
Tomhave learned about the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes through his participation in the First Steps to Fulbright Program, a new initiative that the St. Olaf Piper Center for Vocation and Career launched this year. The program provides coaching and support for first-year and sophomore students interested in pursuing nationally competitive fellowships.
The theme of the Scotland Summer Institute is Scotland: Identity, Culture, and Innovation, and Tomhave says he’s looking forward to learning about the country.
“Like many people I have this romantic notion of lochs and castles, but I wanted to learn more about the Scotland of today in all its complexities — like the referendum for independence in 2014 for example,” he says. “We will spend time learning about the culture, heritage, and history of Scotland in a variety of ways.”
He’s looking forward to the chance to visit some of Scotland’s historical sites, especially the St. Andrews Links, which is considered the birthplace of golf.
“I’m most excited to meet new people and hear their stories,” he says. “I want to take advantage of the different perspectives I’ll be exposed to and learn as much as possible from those around me.”