A Stirling opportunity
(May 31, 2023) An East Tennessee State University alumna will head to the United Kingdom this fall on a Fulbright Scholarship that allows her to study two of the areas she’s most passionate about – art therapy and sport.
Rachel Harbin Blankenship graduated from ETSU in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design and attended Florida State University, where she earned a master’s degree in art therapy and was a graduate assistant in the Department of Art Education.
Blankenship, who was a four-year student-athlete as a member of ETSU’s women’s soccer team and played one season of professional soccer in Skövde, Sweden, before beginning her graduate program, will study sport psychology at the University of Stirling in Scotland.
In particular, the Memphis native will engage in research focusing on how the integration of art therapy techniques aids the rehabilitation of professional athletes who are recovering from injury. She will also witness the history and culture of sport in Scotland and plans to get involved with local sports teams, both as a player and volunteer coach.
She was selected for this prestigious award by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission after a rigorous evaluation of academics, cultural curiosity and leadership qualities.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Fulbright/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport,” she said. “As a former collegiate and professional athlete, I have a direct understanding of the physical, mental and emotional pressures that athletes are faced with on a daily basis. I am so excited to study the integration of sport psychology and art therapy and to advocate for environments that support the wellness of athletes both on and off the field.”
Blankenship said her time as a student-athlete at ETSU equipped her for this Fulbright experience.
“ETSU not only prepared me academically as I decided to pursue further education, but the faculty and staff who supported and mentored me also inspired me to dream big and have confidence in what I could achieve in the future."
“Being a member of the women’s soccer program and witnessing the dedication to health and wellness within the athletic department at ETSU instilled a desire to build on the mental health resources available to high-performing athletes within my own research. I would not be who I am today without the knowledge and experiences I gained during my time at ETSU, and I am incredibly grateful.”
The U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission works to advance knowledge, promote civic engagement and develop compassionate leaders through educational exchange between the peoples of the U.S. and U.K. It is the only academic awards program that operates on both sides of the Atlantic, providing grants for postgraduate study, research and teaching.