Current Scholars
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Bridget Claborn
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Bridget’s involvement in community service was first fostered by her family. Bridget’s passion for service, though, has been accumulated in more recent years as a student at Omaha Central High School - an urban public school with a diverse student body.
In her time at Omaha Central, Bridget participated in several community activities such as the League of Women Voters, Royal Neighbors of America, and National Honor Society - in which she served as President. Most significantly though, Bridget continued her involvement with English Language Learners (ELL) at Central Park Elementary School. Primarily, these students are refugees from the country of Burma (now Myanmar). They are members Karen tribe, and escaped cultural persecution for life in America. Bridget began volunteering in this classroom as a middle schooler, and as the years passed, she gained a greater understanding of the students’ situation. As such, when selected as one of two delegates to represent the state of Nebraska at the American Legion Auxiliary’s Girls Nation in July of 2011, Bridget drafted the English Language Learners’ Educational Rights Act - a bill that addresses the injustices of No Child Left Behind facing ELL students. In this experience, Bridget gained not only legislative practice, but an understanding of how true social change is achieved.
Bridget hopes to continue her work with ELL students and refugee communities as a student at Vanderbilt, and also hopes to explore service opportunities concerning education reform and urban education. She feels incredibly blessed to be a part of the Ingram Scholarship Program, and is humbled to have been given the opportunity. Bridget looks forward to all the program has to offer her in her studies and her service.
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