Sarah Bacot ’13 of Diamondhead, Miss., has been named a Watson Fellow, a prestigious designation that includes a stipend to be used for travel and study abroad for 2013-2014. Bacot is one of only 40 graduating college seniors nationwide awarded the fellowship.
Bacot plans to visit Argentina, India, South Africa, and Poland while completing her project, “Out of the Closets, Into the Streets: Exploring Queer Identity through Community Organizations and Pride Parades." Says Bacot, who is a history and gender and sexuality studies bridge major, “I hope to learn more about what it means to be a member of a community that seeks to stretch across national, racial, religious, and class boundaries in order to create a new kind of family.”
“Sarah is an ideal Watson fellow because she consistently seeks out difference, looks to form bonds with others, and asks difficult questions,” says Dr. Robert Saxe, codirector of postgraduate fellowships at Rhodes and the campus Watson liaison.
A graduate of Our Lady Academy in Bay St Louis, Miss., Bacot has served as an intern for the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center and as the LGBT Community Development Fellow on the Rhodes campus.
Established in 1968, the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship provides for one year of independent study and travel outside the United States.