2013 Fulbright recipients: Cameron Sheldon

A politics major and Spanish minor, Cameron Sheldon ’13 of Canton, Conn., received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for work in Armenia.

Sheldon’s commitment to community involvement, public service and human rights has been informed and deepened by her Bates education. As a sophomore studying abroad, Sheldon undertook independent research into prison conditions in Bolivia. A Bates seminar exploring effects of genocide introduced her to the Armenian Genocide of nearly a century ago.

“I was intrigued by the longstanding Turkish policy of denying that atrocities towards Armenians ever occurred,” Sheldon says. “This material gave me the inspiration for my year-long honors thesis about the Turkish-Armenian conflict.”

In Armenia, Sheldon will conduct an independent study on the politics of memory in Armenia in addition to her English-teaching responsibilities. She looks ahead to earning a law degree and becoming an advocate for people threatened by persecution in other countries.