Brock Scholar Emma Roy poses in cap and gown near the Guerry Center. Photo by Angela Foster.
Emma Roy is set to walk across the stage at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s commencement this week after a very unconventional undergraduate journey. From studying abroad in England and twice in Taiwan, Roy’s UTC experience has been marked by academic pivots, global exploration and the courage to step outside her comfort zone.
“I’m really excited to graduate,” Roy said. “I’m eager, but I’m not really leaving UTC. I love Chattanooga and I love UTC.”
A native of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Roy initially arrived at UTC in 2021 as a pre-med student. Like many first-year students, she realized her plan was not the right fit.
“I realized I didn’t have a passion for biology or chemistry at all,” she said.
Because both of Roy’s parents were educators, she was inspired to shift her focus to secondary education and political science. She found purpose in the ways teaching can have an impact on others.
“I believe it’s one of the most direct ways you can impact somebody’s life,” she said.
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While her change in majors set her on a different path, information from the Honors College, where she was a Brock Scholar, would ultimately give her a very unique and transformative college experience.
During her sophomore year, Roy learned about the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program just weeks before the application deadline.
“I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to apply,’” she said. “I speak some Chinese. Surely, I have a chance.”
She was accepted into the CLS, an intensive language immersion program, and studied abroad at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, where she lived with a host family.
“It was the most uncomfortable experience at first,” Roy said. “I couldn’t even communicate. I was using Google Translate for everything.”
Yet over time, the experience became one of the most fulfilling parts of her college years. “I think it was also the most rewarding,” she said.
After realizing how much she valued living abroad, Roy later studied at the University of Brighton in England for a semester, focusing on political science coursework. She ultimately decided to apply for the prestigious Boren Scholarship to gain even more experience studying abroad.
Roy was accepted and returned to Taiwan for nine months.
This time, Roy was living independently in Taipei and navigating daily life on her own, which further developed her language skills and cultural understanding.
“I had to figure everything out myself,” she said. “But it taught me a lot.”
During her second trip to Taiwan, Roy traveled to other countries, such as Japan, Thailand and the Philippines, which led to spontaneous adventures.
“We booked a flight for the Philippines the night before and didn’t even have a hotel,” she said. “We ended up swimming with whale sharks. That wasn’t even part of the plan.”
Roy described reuniting with her host family as one of the most meaningful experiences of her return to Taiwan.
“She calls me her daughter,” Roy said. “I feel like I have a whole additional family.”
Despite all the wonderful things she experienced while studying abroad, returning to campus at UTC brought some challenges.
“It’s definitely a reverse culture shock and took time to adjust to, and I am still in the process of,” she said.
Roy also found it difficult to maintain her Chinese in the same way living in the States.
“There’s not a ton of resources here to learn Chinese,” she said, “so I try to watch shows in the language and stay in contact with people from my programs.”
Emma Roy’s undergraduate years at UTC included earning a Critical Language Scholarship and a Boren Scholarship.
Roy credits UTC—especially the Honors College—with helping her discover opportunities she never knew existed.
“Without the Honors College, I would not be doing what I’m doing,” Roy said. “They made me aware that these programs were even an option.
“I will miss a lot of the professors that helped me as well.”
Now in her final semester, Roy is completing her student teaching at Red Bank Middle School, where she teaches eighth-grade U.S. history. She plans to continue teaching while pursuing a master’s degree in computer science and cybersecurity at UTC.
Long-term, her goals extend beyond the classroom. Roy has secured a pathway to work with plans to begin that journey after graduate school.
“Five years ago, I never thought I would go into computer science or cybersecurity and work for the federal government,” she said.
Looking ahead towards commencement, Roy reflected on how much her perspective has changed, not only academically but also personally.
“There’s so much more out there,” she said. “Everyone should study abroad. You get to see how the world views America and it really changes you.”
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