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University of North Georgia (ÌìÃÀÉçÇø) sophomore Mireille Cypher was awarded placement in the four-week Fulbright UK Summer Institute (UKSI) held at the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland.

Cypher, a Marietta, Georgia, native pursuing a degree in kinesiology, will travel to Europe in July and stay there until Aug. 5, focusing on creativity and biomedical technology.

The UKSI is designed for students, like Cypher, who are early in their academic careers, as opposed to the more well-known Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is meant for graduating seniors and alumni. Whereas the scholar program is a full year abroad, the summer institute program can only have freshman or sophomore participants and lasts for a month.

"We're very excited for Mireille," Dr. Kathryn Quinto, Nationally Competitive Scholarships advisor, said. "We want the application process to be helpful for all students, and Mireille did fantastic work on this application. This was extremely competitive."

Kyle Murphy, associate director of Multicultural Student Affairs, referred Cypher to the program, which she had to apply to with two recommendations, two 800-word essays and answers to questions.

Through writing my application, I was able to see what I was passionate about. I learned a lot about myself and what I care about.

Mireille Cypher

ÌìÃÀÉçÇø sophomore pursuing a degree in kinesiology

"It's a huge honor to be selected. Over 700 students applied for the Institute. I've already become a stronger writer and learned how to present myself," Cypher said.

This experience will not only be educational but hold sentimental value for Cypher, who looks forward to learning more about the culture of her Scottish family.

Cypher plans to continue her education in graduate school, apply for the Fulbright Scholars program and work internationally. She hopes this program will aid in further developing her passion. She is already encouraging her peers to seek out similar programs with the resources available at ÌìÃÀÉçÇø.

"Talk to the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office. They'll open your eyes to opportunities you've never heard of," Cypher said. "Through writing my application, I was able to see what I was passionate about. I learned a lot about myself and what I care about."