Application Process for the Periclean Scholars Class of 2028

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

-Lilla Watson, Australian Aboriginal artist, activist, and academic

 

The Periclean Scholars Class of 2028 will be engaged in on-going efforts focused on Indigenous cultural and linguistic revitalization and preservation. Colonialism and oppression have systematically displaced, erased, and/or marginalized the cultures and languages of Indigenous peoples in North America. Throughout the United States, there are many grass-roots organizations, academics, and others working to revitalize Indigenous knowledge, language, teaching, and practice, and integrate it into society. These Indigenization efforts are revolutionary in that they seek to fundamentally re-center Indigenous ideas, practices, and perspectives, and in so doing, create a more just and inclusive society.

The Periclean Scholars Class of 2028 will partner with the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) over the course of 3-years. Scholars will continue to build on the OBSN-Elon University partnership, engage with Indigenous community members, and form reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationships founded on open communication, building trust, and restorative justice practices. The Class may partner with one or more additional Indigenous communities or organizations engaged in Indigenization efforts as well.

Applications are currently being accepted for current first-year students (members of the Elon University Class of 2028)! The application period will close on April 4, 2025. Acceptances to the program will be made on a rolling basis as individual applications are received, and the early submission of applications is strongly encouraged.

There are two components to the application: (1) a letter of application and (2) an interview with the Class Mentor. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance prior to preregistration for the fall 2025 semester (which begins on April 15, 2025).

The letter of application should include the following 4 elements:

1)    A brief statement describing why you are interested in becoming a Periclean Scholar and why you are committed to this 3-year long academic community engagement experience.

2)    A brief statement identifying your strengths and how these might be useful to the 2028 Periclean Scholar Cohort and associated OBSN relationships, activities, and projects.

3)    After reading the article: “White Saviorism: A barrier to genuine indigenization efforts” by Andrea Menard (2024; https://indigenousconnect.org/white-saviorism-a-barrier-to-genuine-indigenization-efforts/), write a response to the prompt below. Please limit your response to 1,000-1,200 words.

As stated in the article “White saviorism: A barrier to genuine indigenization efforts” (Menard, 2024):

“To deconstruct the barriers erected by white saviorism, non-Indigenous allies must adopt a role of active listeners and supporters rather than leaders or saviors. Genuine Indigenization entails engaging in reciprocal relationships that acknowledge and prioritize Indigenous autonomy, expertise, and decision-making processes.”

Prompt:

As a member of the Periclean Scholars Class of 2028, how will you work to build effective and sustainable reciprocal relationships with partner community members?

  • What will you do to ensure that such relationships are just, equitable, and provide mutual benefits for all stakeholders?
  • How will you avoid the pitfalls of community-engaged learning, including:
    • failing to recognize and maintain the dignity and agency of your community partners;
    • glamorizing, objectifying, or commodifying community-based cultural practices and products;
    • perpetuating differentials of power;
    • being culturally insensitive; and
    • perpetuating the “white savior complex”?

In your response, please consider your background and your personal experiences, how they have shaped your perceptions and interactions with the world, and how others in turn perceive you.

4)    Provide the name and contact information of an Elon faculty or staff member who can serve as a reference if needed.

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Please email your letter of application (as a .pdf file) to Dr. Mark Enfield, Mentor for the Class of 2028 Periclean Scholars, at menfield@elon.edu. Following receipt of your materials, you will be contacted for your personal interview with Dr. Enfield.

Note: As soon as you decide to apply, please contact Dr. Enfield so your interview can be scheduled as early as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to contact him at menfield@elon.edu.