Local college student awarded Fulbright scholarship

A Columbus resident can mark “visit Ireland” off her bucket list.

Ball State University student Meredith Dickerson is spending most of this month at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland studying various subtopics of conflict transformation.

She will learn about the area’s political, economic and cultural relationships within the United Kingdom and the world.

Dickerson, who will be entering her sophomore year at Ball State, is on the trip after being awarded one of 60 scholarships nationwide to the U.K. Fulbright Summer Institute, which covers round-trip airfare, meals, accommodations and tuition and fees, according to the Fulbright Commission website. She is the only recipient from Ball State.

The Institute is part of the international education exchange U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission program and is one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs in the world.

“I see the opportunity to study conflict resolution at Queen’s University in Belfast as experience that will benefit my professional career,” she said.

Although her itinerary is packed with information and classes, she will get plenty of time to visit the surrounding areas and see the sights. Most of her weekends and the evenings are free to explore and the participants will have field trips, she said.

Dickerson said she believes she will get the chance to meet Ireland policy makers and religious leaders.

The student said she was excited about the opportunity “to be immersed in a culture that I’ve only learned about in classes.”

Dickerson is majoring in English and prelaw. She plans to pursue a career in international human rights law after completing law school. She is the daughter of Todd and Violet Dickerson of Columbus.