Emily Adcock’s first visit to The University of Alabama went like that of so many others. The grounds were immaculate. The people were friendly and engaging.
Adcock was impressed by the beauty of the Capstone and the exceptional pride its people radiated.
“I stepped on campus and immediately thought that everyone puts in the work to maintain such a beautiful campus,” she said. “People seemed really happy and were promoting the UA brand.”
Although she did not grow up an Alabama fan, Adcock chose The University of Alabama due to the opportunities presented during her initial campus tour, particularly in the UA Honors College. There, Adcock learned about the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program, the Blackburn Institute and the CREATE Path to MBA, all programs in which she currently participates.
Building connections and civic awareness through innovative history projects
“(The Witt Fellows is) a cohort-oriented honors program, so you become very close to your cohort,” she said. “As I was interviewing as a senior in high school, I was extremely excited that I was potentially meeting my future best friends.”
Through Witt Fellows during her freshman year, Adcock and her team implemented a mobile history exhibit celebrating the roles of students in the Civil Rights movement in Marion, Alabama. In Spring 2024, Adcock returned to Marion and expanded on that historical project with Mary Cosby Moore, the Lincoln Memorial Museum director.
“If people are making an investment in you, then you have a certain responsibility to get involved with the community.”
“I went back to Marion last semester and helped (Moore) create a 10-panel exhibit about the evolution of voting rights in Perry County, where Marion is located,” Adcock said. “This includes an interview with the local sheriff, who was the first Black elected official in the county.”
Adcock is a junior double majoring in English and history with a legal history concentration. She currently interns with the Crossroads Civic Engagement Center on The University of Alabama’s campus.
“My time at Crossroads influences the other work I do on campus; it’s the lens in which I view my contributions,” she said. “I ask myself, ‘how can I include civic life and community engagement in what I am doing?’”
Adcock embodies this purpose as an Andrew Goodman Foundation ambassador for UA Vote Everywhere, an on-campus organization that promotes youth voting accessibility.
A commitment to civic engagement and global learning through scholarships and service
Adcock has seized multiple opportunities presented during her time at UA, including Blackburn Institute funding to intern in Washington, D.C., the Don and Barbara “Bobbie” Siegal Endowed Scholarship and the Daniel Community Scholars funding to implement a community-focused project.
“I met Ms. Bobbie Siegal this past August when I received the award,” she said. “She gave me a big hug and her phone number, and I have communicated with her a couple of times.”
Additionally, Adcock receives the Ruth W. and Henry Andrew Scholarship and merit-based scholarships, such as National Merit, Presidential Merit and Presidential National Housing Scholarships. She has also received the O.B. Emerson Endowed Scholarship and Strode Prize, funded by the Strode Endowed Program Support Fund through UA’s Department of English.
Opportunities to broaden her global perspective through studying abroad was part of what brought Adcock to UA. Access to scholarships and grants, such as the Education Abroad Grant (twice) and the Ronald R. Robel Endowed Support Fund, have allowed Adcock to study abroad in places like Oxford, England and Porto, Portugal.
“I emailed (Randall Research Scholars benefactor) Dr. Cathy Randall and (former UA art professor) Dr. Cathy Pagani when I received the (Ronald R. Robel) Scholarship to show my gratitude, and I sent them pictures that I took in Portugal,” she said. “It’s a virtual relationship that we keep.”
Stateside, Adcock has also received funding through UA’s department of history and the Office of Undergraduate Research to attend two conferences, one in Washington, D.C., and the other in Auburn where she presented some of UA Vote Everywhere’s initiatives. Additionally, she won the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award, which provided funding for her to attend and present at the National Communications Association Conference in New Orleans.
Although Adcock has focused academically and invested in her undergraduate experiences, she encourages other students to embrace the social responsibility of community service. Adcock volunteers for Reading Allies, a children’s literacy program in Tuscaloosa.
“If people are making an investment in you, then you have a certain responsibility to get involved with the community,” she said.
Adcock plans to pursue law school after completing her MBA in May 2027.
Through The Rising Tide 2.0 Capital Campaign, we will continue to add to the 1,100 new endowed scholarships and fellowships created during the campaign to support students like Adcock.