A former Castle Rushen High School and Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education student will fulfil an ambition to study in America after being selected for the 2014 Ella Olesen scholarship.
Lorrae Fox will follow a long line of local students in spending nine months among hundreds of international students at the University of Idaho in the USA from August.
The scholarship is named after the late Miss Ella Olesen, a former registrar of the university who died in 1985. Her Manx ancestry – her mother Margaret Teare was born in Ballaugh and emigrated to America in 1890 – led her to gift the scholarship in 1971. It is awarded annually to a female degree student who has been supported through her studies by the Department of Education and Children.
Forming the interview panel for this year’s scholarship were Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, and John Gill, Head of Legal and Administrative Services. They short-listed and interviewed six applicants before selecting Lorrae.
Prior to their interviews, candidates also chatted with 2010 Ella Olesen scholar Katie Taylor, from Ramsey, who has returned to Idaho to study for a PhD and who was home for Christmas.
Lorrae, from Port Erin, is working towards a BA in English language and linguistics at Lancaster University and will graduate this summer.
Lorrae is an academic writing mentor for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and this has sparked in her an interest in returning to the Island to teach. From this term, she’ll be supporting a university language exchange scheme, liaising with speakers of languages from Lancaster’s partner institutions.
She’s an active member of the university’s Linguistic and English Language Society and was on the executive of its Baking Society, which volunteers in schools and raises money for charities. Lorrae introduced three-legs and Manx cat-shaped cookies to the society’s biscuit repertoire.
Away from her studies, Lorrae works for the student union and enjoys hiking. She is looking forward to experiencing the natural beauty that Idaho has to offer.
Lorrae suffered from ME in her mid-teens and missed two years of education, returning to her studies only part-time at first, so her achievement is all the more remarkable.
The 22-year-old had a ‘longing to study in live in America’ but the cost of a degree course that would have seen her spend a year there proved prohibitive.
She said of the opportunity the scholarship offers her:
‘To represent and champion the Isle of Man while studying in a place I’ve aspired to experience for many years, is an opportunity I’m utterly thrilled and honoured to have been chosen to undertake.
‘I will be making the most of every experience on offer and I’m excited to fully embrace the Idahoan and American culture while teaching others about our wonderful Island.’
The university funded two scholars in 2013. Siobhan Walshe, 22, of Onchan, who graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in history, and Joanne Durber, 22, of Peel, who gained a BA English literature and creative writing from the University of Chester, began studying in Idaho last August and will be there until May 2014.
Both spent Christmas and New Year in America.
Congratulating Lorrae, Siobhan said:
‘The last five months in Moscow have offered an incredible range of amazing experiences, from meeting a diverse group of people from all over the world to providing me with the opportunity to explore a whole new subject and to travel the US. I have loved every moment so far.’
Joanne said:
‘I’ve represented the Isle of Man at a campus cultural event called ‘Cruise The World’, held our flag with pride at the US Open tennis tournament in New York and talked about Manx traditions and culture on my weekly Manx/British themed radio show, ‘Across The Atlantic’. In meeting all my new friends from countries such as Thailand, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, China, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and, of course, America itself, I’ve been able to swap stories about my childhood on the Isle of Man, our national celebrations (Hop-tu-Naa), and educate people on our location and political status.’
And Joanne had some advice for Lorrae. ‘Eat real fish and chips before leaving the Island, as Americans only do fries, and their ‘chips’ are actually our crisps. Battered fish and hot crisps is an experience I will never forget. And pack your suitcase with warm jumpers and as many packets of biscuits as you can squeeze in. Real British biscuits don’t exist in this wonderful land.’
