Emily Bronson
Exploring a wealth of opportunities while enjoying a close community setting drew Emily Bronson to East Carolina University and the EC Scholars program.
The Camden native has already started connecting with all of the scholars in her class as well as upperclassmen.
“Being an EC Scholar means excellence in everything. With the family atmosphere, I can already tell that all of these scholars are not competitive with each other. They’re very accepting of one another and encouraging of each other,” said Bronson, the daughter of James and Jennifer Bronson.
EC Scholars is the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Recipients receive an Honors College scholarship and a stipend for study abroad for a total value of nearly $64,000.
In the third grade, Bronson said she wanted to work in Washington, D.C. That dream has influenced her decision to major in communication and political science. After graduating from ECU, she wants to attend the University of Virginia School of Law so she can work as a lobbyist for education reform.
“When you walk into high school, you have a lot of different people telling you different ideas,” she said. “I gravitated toward politics, but education politics. There’s a lot that has been done, but there’s a lot to be done and I want to be a part of that process.”
Finding a university that felt like home was important to Bronson as a first-generation student. From the beginning of her application process, she felt that ECU treated her as an individual and not just another number.
“It felt very homey to me, right from the get-go,” she said. “The networking there is incredible, and you could definitely tell that from day one.”
Bronson plans to continue some of her high school extracurriculars in college, specifically getting involved in student government.
“I went to one of the admitted student days and someone on the student panel was talking about the Honors College Student Council,” she said. “As a member of SGA and the National Honor Society at my high school, that was one of the things that really stood out to me.”
Music is an important part of her life. She started as a brass player in the sixth grade and now plays a variety of instruments including piano, ukulele, guitar and the French horn. This summer, she will continue working in a music store in downtown Camden and will carry her love of music to ECU, where she will join the Marching Pirates.
However, the study abroad experience is what Bronson is looking forward to the most. Dublin is at the top of her list due to its European location and art history.
“Coming from a really small town, the farthest I’ve traveled to was New York City,” she said. “I’m just really excited about broadening my horizons and seeing what’s beyond Camden.”
“I’m just really excited about broadening my horizons and seeing what’s beyond Camden.”
High school: Camden County High School
Intended major: Communication and political science
Hometown: Camden