Nine students across several different academic disciplines were awarded a new study abroad and enrichment scholarship. The John Hood and Edith Shuford Summey Honors Carolina Scholarship awards students funding towards their selected study abroad program in addition to an opportunity to extend their studies by traveling independently for an additional 8 days to enrich their learning about the topic of study and the region’s culture and history.
Natives of Gastonia, NC, John Hood Summey ’62 and his late wife, Edith (Edie) Shuford Summey ’62, greatly valued their time at UNC. Both went on to acquire a post-secondary degree (John a Ph.D. and Edie an Ed.D.) and served as teachers at the university level. John and Edie always put great value on education and international travel; that mindset led them to create and endow two separate funds within Honors Carolina which will support undergraduate students at UNC for years to come.
The nine 2024 Summey Scholars will be studying on Honors Carolina study abroad programs in Germany, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Their independent travels will take them to Switzerland, Ireland, Vietnam, Belgium, Italy, and more! Each awarded student has a professional or personal curiosity driving their application to travel beyond the bounds of their programs. The Summey Award makes it all possible.
Meet the 2024 Summey Scholars:
Sunhee Frecker (’27) is double majoring in economics and peace, war, and defense. Sunhee is traveling to Berlin on the Burch Field Research Seminar on Intelligence, and her Summey award will allow her to explore three cities with significant histories in security and surveillance – Geneva, London, and Dublin. Her trip will provide a comprehensive understanding of intelligence systems and reconnaissance efforts.
Jason Yan (’25) is studying public health and minoring in data science. He is studying abroad this summer on the Burch Field Research Seminar focused on Social Innovation in Thailand. Jason’s Summey award extension will provide him the opportunity to delve into the nuances of nutrition in two other Southeast Asian countries: Vietnam and Indonesia, with a specific focus on understanding how food systems shape overall population health.
Katherine Fiore (’27) is a double major in public policy and history with a minor in dramatic art. Katherine is traveling to the U.K. for the Honors British Literature in London & Oxford program. Her Summey award will allow her to arrive 8 days before her program begins to explore three key learning goals in London, Paris, and Brussels: the context of British literature as a whole, the lives of Romantic authors, and the parallel movement of Romanticism in the art world.
Lillian Pitts (’26) is studying nutrition and neuroscience and minoring in health and society. She is traveling to Thailand on the Burch Field Research Seminar focused on Social Innovation. Lillian will use her Summey extension to gain a better understanding of sustainable farming, entrepreneurship and public health. She will spend her additional 8 days at Dairy Home, the first and only organic dairy producer in Thailand, to learn about and be a part of their sustainable mission.
Mary Kathryn Schultz (’26) is double majoring in business administration and information science and minoring in data science. She is studying abroad this summer in London on the Burch Field Research Seminar on Olympics and Global History. Mary Kathryn’s Summey award will allow her to travel to Milan, where the 2026 winter games will take place, and Rome, where the 1960 Olympic games were hosted. During her visits, she will explore political and social influences of the games and how Italy is intertwining its culture with sport.
Brianna Veres (’27) is studying English and psychology. This summer she will study abroad in the U.K. on the Honors British Literature in London & Oxford program. Brianna will spend her Summey extension learning more about her favorite authors by visiting the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam and the childhood home of the Brontë sisters in Haworth, Yorkshire. She will also visit castles near Edinburgh to gain inspiration for her writing.
Mackenzie Cullinan (’26) is double majoring in public policy and American Indian & Indigenous studies. Mackenzie is traveling to London for the Burch Field Research Seminar on Criminal Justice and Mental Health. With her Summey award extension, Mackenzie will visit Ireland to learn about a different approach to the treatment of criminals and the mentally ill, to relate to her future work with Native American mental health.
Mang Iang (’25) is studying environmental health sciences with a minor in environmental justice and a concentration in environmental health biology at Gillings School of Global Public Health. Mang is traveling to Thailand on the Burch Field Research Seminar focused on Social Innovation and will use her Summey funds to engage with local entrepreneurs in Vietnam, identify economic opportunities in Indonesia, and explore public health challenges in Cambodia. Her extension will help provide culturally sensitive solutions to public health issues and enhance her global perspective.
Jordyn Middleton (’25) is majoring in human & organizational leadership development and media & journalism with a concentration in advertising & public relations. She will be abroad in London for the Burch Field Research Seminar on Criminal Justice and Mental Health this summer and will extend her trip through her Summey fellowship by visiting France and Portugal. An aspiring lawyer, her summer program will expand her knowledge of criminal justice systems in Europe, help her understand how European countries frame their legal systems, and teach her about the cultural history of France and Portugal.
View the past Summey Fellows’ projects here.
Read more about the Summey Honors Scholarship here.
Honors Carolina contact: Gina Difino, (919) 962-9680, Gina_Difino@unc.edu
Communications and Public Affairs: (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu
