Seven students across several different academic disciplines were awarded a 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 eight days to enrich their learning about the topic of study, region, language, culture, and history.
Natives of Gastonia, NC, John Hood Summey ’62 and his late wife, Edith (Edie) Shuford Summey ’62, 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 an Honors Carolina study abroad scholarship supporting undergraduates participating in Honors Carolina summer programs abroad to independently explore the region and deepen their study.
The seven 2026 Summey Scholars will be studying on Honors Carolina study abroad programs in Thailand, Germany, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Bosnia, Croatia, and Brazil. Their independent travels will take them to Cambodia, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Singapore. Each awarded student has a professional or personal curiosity driving their interest in traveling beyond the bounds of their programs. The Summey Award makes it all possible.
Meet the 2026 Summey Scholars:
Asiah Banks, class of 2028, is from Concord, NC and is majoring in public policy and medical anthropology. Asiah is traveling to Thailand on the Burch Field Research Seminar focused Public Health Entrepreneurship. Her Summey award will allow her to compare nonprofit maternal health organizations and clinics in Cambodia, allowing her to see how business strategies, such as diverse funding sources and community-based service delivery, help support sustainable maternal health, with a focus on equity and access. She aims to understand how these clinics maintain financial sustainability while offering fair, high-quality care to improve maternal health outcomes.
Janelle Choi, class of 2026, is from Sacramento, CA and is studying environmental science with a minor in geographic information sciences. She is studying abroad this summer on the Burch Field Research Seminar focused on Sustainable Cities in Germany, Finland, and Estonia. For her extension, she plans to visit the Netherlands and Denmark to explore energy and innovation by examining how cities implement climate adaptation in practice. Janelle aims to learn about global models of sustainable city planning, renewable energy, and environmental governance.
Nuala Ingram, class of 2029, is from Greensboro, NC and is studying environmental studies. Nuala is traveling to Brazil on the Burch Field Research Seminar on Environmental Health. For her travel extension, Nuala will visit Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Curitiba to deepen her understanding of global perspectives on environmental studies by visiting museums and research institutions focused on sustainability and public health. Nuala also plans to observe sustainable designs by visiting green corridors, examining creative water storage methods, and spending time in various green spaces in each city to see how parks have been designed to promote connection and environmental health.
Jessica Li, class of 2027, is from Frederick, MD, and is majoring in nutrition with a minor in chemistry. This summer, she will study abroad in London through the Honors Seminar on Psychotherapy. For her Summey award extension, Jessica will travel to Paris and Dijon, France, and Cagliari, Italy, to explore how nutrition is integral to quality of life, life expectancy, and holistic health. In Dijon, she plans to visit Dijon’s Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, a UNESCO World Heritage site that explores French gastronomy and history. In Paris, she plans to visit local food banks and community gardens to explore social support systems and mental health in a major European city. While in Cagliari, known as a Blue Zone for its reputation for longevity, Jessica will observe the Sardinian way of life and their farm-to-table diets to analyze how their way of life impacts their increased life expectancies and holistic health.
Caroline Lowery, class of 2028, is from Jackson, MS, and is majoring in public policy and political science with a minor in PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics). She is traveling to the Netherlands, Bosnia, and Croatia on the Burch Field Research Seminar on Human Rights. Her Summey award will allow her to visit France and Switzerland to deepen her understanding of human rights through a structured progression from regional European institutions to global UN mechanisms, national democratic systems, and historical memorial sites. She aims to bridge theory and practice across legal, institutional, and moral dimensions of human rights through her visits.
Omar Romero-Jimenez, class of 2028, is from Asheboro, NC and is majoring in health policy and management with minors in Spanish for the professions and medicine, literature, and culture. Omar is traveling to Thailand for the Burch Field Research Seminar on Public Health Entrepreneurship. With his Summey extension, Omar hopes to deepen his understanding of sustainable agriculture, urban food systems, and health equity in Southeast Asia by visiting Cambodia and Singapore. In Cambodia, he plans to visit multiple historical sites to explore how historical trauma, economic inequality, and environmental conditions shape public health outcomes. In Singapore, he plans to study urban sustainability and food access to compare rural agricultural models in Thailand with highly urbanized, technology-driven food systems.
Cole Thomas, class of 2028, is from Mamers, NC and is majoring in German and Slavic languages and literatures. He is studying abroad this summer on the Burch Field Research Seminar on Sustainability in Germany, Finland and Estonia. Cole’s Summey award will allow him to travel to Germany’s capital, Berlin, to further enrich his understanding of the high priority that Germany places on designing cities to emphasize quality of life. He aims to analyze the socio-environmental infrastructure, focusing on the integration of nature and celebration in daily life that influences Germany’s overall public health and well-being. He plans to study sustainable living, green urbanism, historical art, and the night life across Berlin to understand how environmental design, community engagement, and wellness practices contribute to Germany’s high quality of life.
Read more about Honors Carolina study abroad programs here.
Honors Carolina contact: Gina Difino, (919) 962-9680, Gina_Difino@unc.edu
Communications and Public Affairs: (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu
