USCB celebrates first student Fulbright recipient
The University of South Carolina Beaufort is celebrating the success of Theodora (Tedi) Light, who is the first USCB student to receive a Fulbright Student Award. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study and research projects abroad. Light (Class of 2020, B.A. in History and Spanish) will spend five to seven months in Spain researching the enslavement of indigenous people along the coast of La Florida in the 16th century.
"The goal of my project is to connect histories by illuminating unrepresented groups-indigenous and African people-that forged the backbone of the colonies," Light said. "The histories of this region are not just Spanish and English."
Dr. Juanita Babet Villena-Alvarez, USCB's Fulbright Advisor, said Spain is an extremely competitive destination for the Fulbright student program and recent undergraduates are rarely chosen.
Now pursuing a master's degree in history at the University of Georgia, Light will leave for Europe in January to research her topic at the Archivo General de Indias in Seville. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the repository of archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines. Much of the material is written in Medieval Spanish.
Founded in 1945, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. It is the U.S. Government's flagship international educational exchange program. During her time in Spain, Light will meet with and learn from her hosts in Seville, sharing daily experiences. The goals of the Fulbright program are to promote openness, academic integrity, intellectual freedom and mutual understanding between countries.
"I am so proud of Tedi's accomplishments. As the first USCB student Fulbright Scholar awardee, she is a trailblazer and a great ambassador. Her award also is a testament to our faculty's commitment and engagement with students. Congratulations, Tedi!" said USCB Chancellor Al Panu.
In addition to Drs. Panu and Villena-Alvarez, Light worked with mentors Dr. Kim Cavanagh, Dr. Timothy Mac James, Dr. Ben Nelson and others to complete the program's extensive application, hone her Spanish language skills and gather recommendations.
"I would never have done this without them, and I couldn't have done it without them," she said.
Light, 28, also thanked her husband for "working sometimes 60 hours a week to keep the lights on and pay our bills while I was in school."
Light will use her Fulbright project as the base for her master's thesis and plans to pursue a doctorate in history. She calls herself a "public historian" and plans to publish her research findings in "language even a high school student can understand."
During her time at USCB, she was the lead docent at the Santa Elena History Center, participated in archeological digs at three sites on Hilton Head Island, was chair of voter services for the League of Women Voters- Beaufort, SC Area, and won several academic awards including: Governor Paul Hamilton Sons of the American Revolution, Outstanding Student in History (2020), Outstanding Spanish Student of the Year (2020), Magellan Scholar (2019), and USCB Standout Student (2019).
