Marley Kropp '17 selected for Fulbright Summer Institute

2015 Nov 13

After she wraps up her finals, Grove City College student Marley Kropp '17 will be heading overseas to study history, culture and communications at three Welsh universities as part of a Fulbright Summer Institute program.

Kropp, a sophomore from Limerick, Pa, will study at Cardiff University, Bangor University and Aberystwyth University as part of one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating worldwide.

She and seven other American students will participate in the six-week program "Contemporary Wales: Industry, Politics, Culture and Change." Kropp will be focusing on how the history, language, politics, traditions, geography and economy of Wales impact the country's contemporary culture. While Wales is part of the United Kingdom, some Welsh maintain a separate cultural identity and language.

"As a communications major, I am interested in the role that bilingual and monolingual media play in how the people of Wales think about themselves," Kropp said.

It will be a return trip to Wales for Kropp, but it promises to be much more memorable than her last sojourn to the country. She was only 4 years old when she briefly toured Wales and England with her family and remembers very little of it. But pictures of the stunning countryside, a giant poster of the famed Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno that hangs in the her family's kitchen and even hometown streets with Welsh names like Penwyllt and Llandovery kept Wales on Kropp's radar.

"I feel like I have a connection to Wales that I am waiting to fully uncover," Kropp said. "I am so excited to study the history and culture of this beautiful country that I have seen only in pictures. I am so thankful for this opportunity to improve my intercultural communication skills while exploring the language, traditions and cultural identity of Wales."

Kropp was selected through a rigorous application and interview process that looked at academic excellence and a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Program and a plan to "give back" upon returning.

Dr. Daniel S. Brown Jr., professor of communications studies, recommended Kropp for the Fulbright Summer Institute.

"I am impressed with Marley's work and the promise of her character," Brown said.

As well as doing academic work of the highest quality, Brown said Kropp is an effective and ethical communicator who exemplifies the goal of communications studies at Grove City College, which is to teach students how to build arguments that can influence people.

"Marley is addressing this goal personally through her service on and off campus. She interacts regularly with a campus that is growing in diversity. She recruits, supervises and assists students and alumni from around the world. She will represent the College well in the Fulbright program, and just as importantly I think she will represent Fulbright well when she returns to our campus," Brown said.

The Fulbright Summer Institutes are funded by the same foundations that sponsor prestigious Fulbright Scholarships for postgraduate students and professionals. The goal is to expose students to foreign cultures and promote cross-cultural understanding and scholarship.

"A period of study abroad is a great way to broaden your horizons and make you stand out from the crowd. This is a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of British higher education ... students will gain immensely from the experience," according to Penny Egan, executive director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

Kropp is the only child of Michael and Teri Kropp. As well as a communications degree, she is pursuing a minor in music and is very active on campus.

Kropp is a member of the Crimson and White Society, serving as a student ambassador for Grove City College, and works in the Career Services and Admissions offices. Kropp is also a singer-songwriter who recorded two CDs while still a teenager. She performs at coffee houses and special events on campus and is involved with Grove City Singers, an all-women's vocal ensemble.

She was featured recently in videos about Grove City College's rigorous academics and vibrant faith community. They can be seen at www.gcc.edu.