Meet Appalachian's Fulbright Awardee: Emma Shepherd
The Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships is excited to announce that three recent Appalachian State University graduates have received Fulbright U.S. Student Program Awards as English Teaching Assistants for the 2026-2027 academic year. They are among approximately 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Students — recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals — pursuing graduate study, conducting research, or teaching English in schools abroad each year.
We will spotlight each of the award recipients in a series of articles. The first awardee we are highlighting is Emma Shepherd, of Boone, North Carolina. She studied Music Education K-12 at Appalachian and graduated in 2025. Emma shared, “I am thrilled to get the opportunity to make a positive impact on so many students and act as a cultural ambassador for the United States. I look forward to gaining perspective on Czech musical communities and building relationships through playing tuba with local bands!"
In August, Emma will travel to Šlapanice, Czech Republic, to begin her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA). She will work as an ETA to support language learning for middle and high school students at Gymnázium a Základní umělecká škola Šlapanice while fostering cross-cultural exchange between the United States and the Czech Republic.
When asked what advice she would give other students applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Emma said:
I would advise future applicants to really talk about your application with others! I found that the better you get at articulating your goals, the better off your application will be when it's time to write. This made writing my application so much easier, from initial drafts to polishing the final draft!
I want to acknowledge the Hayes School of Music community, especially the Appalachian Tuba/Euphonium Collective and the Marching Mountaineers, for encouraging me through the entire application process. I also want to give special thanks to my professors, Dr. Samuel Ambrose, Dr. Casey Collins, Dr. Laurie Semmes, and Dara Carney-Nedelman, for listening to ALL my early application ideas.
Congratulations to Emma for being selected for this prestigious award, and we wish her much success as she embarks on this transformational international experience through Fulbright.
The application cycle for the 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open. Students interested in applying should contact Fulbright Program Adviser, Dara Carney-Nedelman, at carneyndk@appstate.edu. The campus deadline for Appalachian is September 4, 2026. For more information, visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.
About Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) works with the Appalachian community to recruit and support students pursuing national scholarships and fellowships for study abroad, language study, research, and post-graduate education opportunities. This is achieved through promotion, mentorship, and advising throughout the entire scholarship journey. NCS is committed to helping undergraduate and graduate students discover ways to connect their Appalachian education to their future academic and professional endeavors through scholarship opportunities. Learn more at ncs.appstate.edu.