She’s bound for Britain!
Hunter alum and staffer Emily Springer ’23 — a jazz journalist and aspiring cultural critic — has won a Marshall Scholarship for graduate study at a British university.
Springer is the third Hunter graduate to win a Marshall, and will study for a master’s in cultural studies and audio journalism at Goldsmiths, University of London.
She thanked Director Stephen Lassonde of The Ruth & Harold Newman Office of Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships for helping guide her Marshall application.
“Dr. Lassonde helped me every step of the way. I am so grateful for his wonderful support and that of Hunter’s faculty,” she said. “For many Hunter students, achievements like this may seem out of reach, but working with Dr. Lassonde gave me not only the confidence to apply, but the assurance that my application was strong and compelling.”
Springer is the program administrator for the Mellon Public Humanities & Social Justice Scholars at Hunter, which launched her career in jazz criticism. Her senior thesis and Mellon capstone project, supervised by Lecturer Kelly Nims, centered on women, jazz, and “respectability.” She later presented the project at a well-attended forum hosted by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
A Montclair, N.J. native, Springer has studied jazz trumpet since she was 13. She has served as an assistant to the producer of the famed Montclair Jazz Festival, and worked as a reporter for the Newark-based jazz station, WBGO 88.3 FM.
After transferring to Hunter from Smith College as a rising sophomore, she double-majored in Africana Puerto Rican and Latino studies and interdisciplinary studies as a Thomas Hunter Honors scholar who earned a certificate in arts management, graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and was a named class salutatorian.
“Emily represents so much of what Hunter has been for generations of students: a place where you can explore the full breadth of who you are as you strive to make an impact on the world,” said Hunter College President Nancy Cantor. “She brought to Hunter a sharp mind, a childhood steeped in jazz, and insatiable curiosity about Black American culture and Black womanhood. She turned that into a B.A. in Africana, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies and a certificate in arts management. We could not be prouder of her accomplishment and can’t wait to see how she takes all of that to a new level with the incredible opportunity before her.”
Springer is the City University of New York’s 10th recipient of the Marshall Scholarship. Before her, CUNY’s most recent honoree was Gabriella Cook-Francis, a 2017 Hunter graduate who earned the scholarship in 2019.
The Marshall Scholarship Program was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a living memorial to former U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall and American assistance provided following World War II. More than 2,200 Americans have received advanced degrees in the United Kingdom through the program since its inaugural class 70 years ago.
Hunter’s Office of Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships has a stellar record of accomplishment in preparing students for competitive scholarships and fellowships. In recent years, the college has produced two Rhodes, three Marshall, six Schwarzman, five Luce, eight Goldwater, and 39 Fulbright Scholars among many other prestigious awardees.
