Chattanooga native AKeera Ford, a recent graduate of Kennesaw State University (KSU), has been granted a highly coveted Fulbright Study Award, a prestigious honor that will take her across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom. Ford will pursue a Master’s degree in Crime, Justice, and Psychology at the University of Leicester, where she plans to delve into how the UK’s victim-centered justice system facilitates recovery.
Ford, who earned both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in criminology and a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from KSU in May 2024, will spend a year in Leicester. Her academic pursuits will focus on the field of criminology, examining practices that could offer valuable insights into supporting victims.
“I was born and raised in Chattanooga,” Ford explained, detailing her path to Kennesaw State. “But I went to school in Ringgold, Georgia, which is how I ended up at a Georgia school like KSU. We briefly lived in Georgia for about eight years, but it was only 15-ish minutes from Chattanooga.”
The journey to securing a Fulbright award is known for its rigorous demands, and Ford shared her personal experience with the process.
“When applying to things like this, there’s always a level of uncertainty. No one can be certain they will be awarded a scholarship as prestigious as this one because it’s so competitive. The wait was long, the application process was demanding, and I definitely had my fair share of self-doubt.”
However, the moment of acceptance was met with an outpouring of emotion.
“But when I received my acceptance, I opened the letter, I laughed, I thanked God, and then I cried. I am ecstatic and truly so grateful for this opportunity. The experience will be invaluable and, I believe, a turning point that sets me in an upward trajectory for years to come. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to travel to the UK and beyond, gaining new perspectives through the people and places I encounter, and engaging in a meaningful exchange by sharing pieces of my own along the way.”
The Fulbright Program, founded in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II by legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright, stands as the U.S. State Department’s flagship international academic exchange initiative. Its core mission is to foster mutual understanding and cultivate friendly, peaceful relations between the people of the United States and other nations worldwide.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants to recent college graduates, graduate students, and early-career professionals, enabling them to engage in study, research, or English teaching abroad. Since its inception, the program has empowered over 400,000 talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to study, teach, and conduct research internationally.
With a global reach spanning more than 160 countries, the Fulbright Program operates on an open, merit-based selection process, identifying awardees based on their academic achievement and leadership potential. The program’s unique binational structure, supported by the U.S. Congress, foreign governments, and various institutional and private contributions, reinforces its enduring success and distinguished standing in international education.
Fulbright alumni have gone on to achieve remarkable distinctions across various fields, including government, science, the arts, business, and education, with many earning Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, and holding positions as heads of state.