Senior Kevin Snow Earns Fulbright Scholarship

Political science graduate Kevin Snow ('21) earned a Fulbright Open Research Award and is headed to Tallinn University in Estonia this August to research the LGBT+ activist spaces and how they navigate this work in Estonia. Below we uncover what Snow is most looking forward to in his nine month research stint abroad.

How did you education at Gonzaga help prepare you for this opportunity?

My education at Gonzaga was essential for both the application process and beyond. One course, in particular, Feminist Thought, had a significant impact on how I understood political movements and how identity impacts them; that will be the central focus of my research in Estonia. Gonzaga's MUN program was crucial in preparing me to write on complex issues in an international context, making my application stronger. 

What excites you most about your upcoming travels and time with Fulbright?

I'm excited to conduct research! I'll be researching how Estonia's unique cultural identity has impacted LGBT+ activism. In the US, we tend to view the world through our understanding of societal issues. Those issues do not always translate well to other societies, so documenting those differences first-hand will be incredible, and I think, impactful. The grant period (September 2021-June 2022) will also mean I'll be abroad for nine months. Up to this point, I've only been abroad for ten days in total, and only to Canada. Being abroad that long is something I've always wanted to do, so receiving the award still feels a bit unreal. Meeting new people, exploring new places, all while doing research I care about, is exciting.

Do you anticipate any barriers to the program due to COVID?

From my understanding, Estonia (like most EU countries) had exemptions for travel for students even during the height of the pandemic, this applied for research/study Fulbright grantees. I expect that the same would be true now, while the situation has also rapidly improved with the introduction of the vaccine. I may have to conduct some interviews over Zoom or the phone, and of course there could be lockdowns. However, I think it's safe to say I'll probably be fine. 

We would like to also recognize the following semi-finalists who applied during a year of unknowns, they are: Isabel Thurston, English Teaching Assistant, Czech Republic; Christopher Farrow, English Teaching Assistant, Panama; Dela Bartol, English Teaching Assistant, Czech Republic; Rebecca Dunne, English Teaching Assistant, Ukraine.