MSU graduate’s selection as John Lewis Civil Rights Fellow expands on national U.S. Student Fulbright win
Contact: Lexi Holdiness
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State graduate from the College of Education is one of 29 inaugural Fulbright-John Lewis Civil Rights Fellows selected from students across the U.S.
Valencia Epps is the university’s first recipient of the new fellowship and MSU’s 10th Fulbright U.S. Student program winner in the past six years. Passed through bipartisan legislation, the first cohort honors the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.
The fellowship leverages educational and global opportunities to provide Fulbright U.S. students expanded access to promote studies, research and international exchange on nonviolent movements that establish and protect civil rights around the world.
Epps, a Stephen D. Lee Scholar and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member, will use her fellowship research to improve education inequities in rural South Korea by improving collaboration between Korean natives and expatriates. Her project addresses the gap in occupational well-being between male and female expatriate English teachers, ultimately contributing to the systematic change in South Korean English education programs.
“We are so proud of Valencia and happy to see her and her important work in South Korea recognized as part of the inaugural class of fellows,” said Professor David Hoffman, interim director of MSU’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. “Yet again, MSU is competing at the highest levels and winning not only because of who our students are but also their commitment to making the lives and experiences of others better.”
Epps previously served as an afterschool English teacher in South Korea through the Teach and Learn in Korea program from 2018-2020 and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from MSU in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
“As part of this John Lewis fellowship, I will have the opportunity to amplify the voices of expat English teachers in South Korea,” Epps said. “My Fulbright project data will allow me to delve deeper into these topics to reach a wider audience.”
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the U.S. and partner countries around the world. It is funded through an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations across the world also provide direct and indirect program support.
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
For additional information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.