Elizabethtown College Individualized Major Ava Skye Barton ’27 was recently named a Fulbright United Kingdom Summer Institute (UKSI) participant – one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs in the world. Barton will be attending Lancaster University in England, where she will be enrolled in the 2025 Fulbright Lancaster University Summer Institute to study the formal and technical composition of films and the wider conventions of cinema during the three-week, intensive course.
“It means everything to me to be selected for this institute, and not just to me now but my past self,” Barton said. “As a kid, you have these dreams and passions, and mine were always revolving around filmmaking. If I could tell my younger self about this, she would be unbelievably excited.”
The institute, travel, lodging, and meals are completely covered by the US-UK Fulbright Commission. Each year, the Commission supports up to 60 U.S. undergraduate students to undertake demanding academic and cultural summer programs at leading institutions in the UK. Barton is the first Etown student accepted into the program.
During each week of the institute, students will hear a lecture and attend a seminar discussion on the topic. They’ll also create a film project in the final week of the institute, learning practical skills like scriptwriting, camera, and editing. Participants will also be introduced to the culture of the UK and have free range of evening and weekend activities led by student ambassadors at Lancaster University.
Barton became interested in applying to be a Fulbright Institute Participant after talking with Etown’s Director of Prestigious Scholarships and Public Heritage Studies Jean-Paul Benowitz and utilizing resources in the Office of Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships.
“The beauty of Elizabethtown College is that it’s a small school, and the relationships I’ve built with professors here have allowed me so many different opportunities,” Barton said. “I was able to work one-on-one with Professor Benowitz on my application, and my individualized major allows me to pursue my academic interests and passions.”
Barton has been involved in filmmaking since middle school and recently worked with Elizabethtown College Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management and Director of the Family Business and Entrepreneurship Program Petru Sandu on a short film animation about the relevance of family business in the United States. She plans to present the film in Washington D.C. in May to members of Congress.
As an Individualized Major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with minors in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Public Heritage Studies, Barton is passionate about pursuing multiple academic areas. A Stamps Scholar at Etown, Barton has made a personal commitment to continue working on films while she was pursuing academics, and the Fulbright Institute is one way to honor that commitment to herself.
“It’s going to be amazing to be surrounded by people who share a similar interest and passion to me and be able to study film at the collegiate level,” Barton said. “I think the summer as a whole will be a transformation and a creative refocus, and I think it will inspire new projects.”
