By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing
When Taylor Herman came to USF St. Petersburg from Omaha, NE, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do for a career. During her four years on campus, she met other students, faculty and staff who inspired her to pursue studies in government and international relations.
Her hard work has led to a prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) scholarship in Moldova, which she begins this September.
During her time at USF, Herman served as lieutenant governor for USF St. Petersburg Student Government, was a member of the Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay Chamber, interned for local Congresswoman Kathy Castor and was awarded a Golden Bull, one of USF's highest honors, given to a select few students for their service to the university and community.
Herman and fellow USF St. Pete graduate Aidan Cawley were crowned Homecoming Royalty Court in 2023.
A Judy Genshaft Honors College student, Herman is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies.
The ETA places teachers in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and provide a native speaker presence in the classrooms. Fulbrighters help teach the English language while also serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. The nine-month assignment comes with a stipend for housing, meals and travel.
"I'm waiting on my placement city right now, but I'll be in a regional city outside of Chișinău, the capital of Moldova,” Herman said. "I am so honored to have gotten this award. It was news I never expected, and I'm grateful for all the influences and mentors here at USF St. Pete."
Herman credits Associate Professor of Political Science Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, a previous Fulbright Scholar to Moldova, for introducing her to politics and encouraging her to get involved in civic and community engagement.McLauchlan invited Herman to assist with a research project in collaboration with the Universitatea Libera Internationala din Moldova (ULIM) or the Free International University of Moldova. Amid the war in nearby Ukraine, students in the two countries met for virtual classroom discussions to compare and contrast civil liberty decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights involving similar legal questions.
Herman developed close ties with those involved, which piqued her interest in international travel. During the summer of 2023, she studied abroad in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland for a program that focused on the Holocaust.
Herman traveled to Europe for a 2-week study abroad trip and came back with a deeper understanding of the Holocaust.
"I don't think I knew exactly what I wanted to do until I went through USF," she added. "That was the spark that led me to realize I'm passionate about social issues and inspired me to be more involved and educated about what was happening in national and international politics."
Herman plans to take full advantage of her Fulbright opportunity in Moldova by advancing her Romanian and Russian language skills and applying to graduate schools where she hopes to pursue a degree in foreign policy. The Fulbright ETA starts on September 4 and ends on June 4, 2025.