WCU junior named first Thompson Scholar
By Cam Adams
Ashlyn Hannon hasn’t been across the pond before, much less anywhere else outside of the country. But thanks to a generous gift from a pair of Western Carolina University donors, she’ll be hopping on a flight in just a few short weeks.
The WCU junior was named the first Thompson Scholar, earning a $10,000 scholarship to study abroad in Granada, Spain this upcoming spring semester.
“Being able to have the cost fully covered is just incredible because I was planning on getting a job and trying to figure that out while I’m in Spain, but now, I don’t have to do that, so I can just enjoy my time and not have to worry about all that,” Hannon said.
Ashlyn Hannon
The Thompson Scholar program is funded by Greg and Mary Thompson of Highlands and Atlanta, Georgia. Hannon, a political science and international studies double major, will live with a host family in Spain and study at the University of Granada.
“Ashlyn was selected for this award because her full-semester program is ideally matched to the Thompson’s vision for increased participation of honors students in these kinds of immersive programs,” said Brinson Honors College dean Jill Granger.
Hannon, who is also a Spanish minor, hopes she can improve her foreign language skills in an immersive environment and use her extra scholarship money to travel around Europe.
The Kannapolis resident has aspirations to see Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Coliseum in Rome and anywhere else she can pay a visit.
She’s also excited to learn more about herself as she travels independently for the first time, and as the first Thompson Scholar, Hannon gets to be a trendsetter.
“I’ve been talking to (Brinson Honors College associate dean) Lori Oxford about it, and she said I get to set a standard for the scholarship and be the first person to talk about it,” Hannon said.
“It’s also been great because I got to meet with the Thompsons, who are the donors, and I’ve been talking to them a lot, and Greg Thompson has actually been working with me to get an internship for the summer, so it’s been really cool to make that connection.”
