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Manhattan bound: Spry wins huge fellowship
March 16, 2007
Senior Adam Spry was one of two students selected from a national pool of applicants to receive the inaugural American Graduate Fellowship.
Launched last March by the Council of Independent Colleges, the fellowship aims to promote and support doctoral study in the humanities by graduates of small and mid-sized private liberal arts colleges. Recipients receive up to $50,000 a year for two years.
While Spry was identified as a finalist in late January, his award was contingent upon admission and full-time enrollment in a humanities doctoral program at one of 23 private research institutions in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland.
“They are all very much the upper echelon, very prestigious, very traditional universities,” Spry said. “I chose those who were most forgiving for non-traditional studies.”
Spry applied to Cornell, Yale, Columbia and New York University. He was accepted at his second choice, Columbia University, and he’ll begin classes there this fall.
Columbia granted him full tuition remission, a healthcare plan and $20,000 in living expenses. Spry said he’s not sure how much of the $50,000 he’ll receive from the fellowship during the next two years, especially since he received a generous financial aid package from Columbia.
“It’s interesting because I stand to make more money this year than I’ll ever make again in my life,” he joked.
Spry plans to earn two master’s degrees in the next two years, one in art and literature and the other in philosophy. He’ll spend the next three to four years writing his doctoral thesis, which he’s tentatively titled, “The Unhyphenated American.” It will look at the work of American writers as they try to identify what it means to be an American – not a Native American or Irish American, simply an American, he explained.
“He’s really well prepared for (Columbia) in that he’s got a pretty good idea of what he wants to do,” said English professor Tom Campbell. “He’s got this ability to make things happen that need to happen. I have great confidence it him. He’ll be influenced in all the right ways in that environment.”
Spry grew up on a Montana reservation, deep in the Native American culture. It was a rural, impoverished community that didn’t have a good education system. He credits his curious nature, his parents and his family’s move to Idaho after his freshman year of high school with allowing him to succeed academically.
“My parents read to us, took us to museums and made sure we watched plenty of PBS,” he said. “They taught us – I have two sisters – that no one will take responsibility of your life but yourself and you must make something of it.”
He learned to think critically at a young age. When his mom grounded him from watching television for misbehaving, he dragged a mirror in front of the television. When his mom walked by and asked what he was doing, he told her he was “watching the mirror.” His mom let the precociousness slide since because his method of subverting the TV ban was so creative.
“Analytical thinking is the most important skill and it’s the one the fewest people develop,” Spry said. “If you can dig deeper, you’ll find out more about yourself and the world around you.”
A double major in English/creative writing and art, Spry has taken advantage of just about every resource available on campus. He regularly met with his professors outside of class to pick their brains.
“These people are brilliant. They’re fascinating people who are much more eloquent about the things I’m passionate about,” Spry said. “It’s like hanging out with rock stars.”
During his time here, Spry said his professors have refused to “be immediately impressed.” They’ve continually pushed him and never allowed him to settle for mediocre results. His professors in the English department have been especially supportive, he said.
Campbell said he learned as much from Spry as Spry learned from him. Spry has a very different perspective on a lot of topics, and that prompted Campbell to dig deeper and learn where those ideas developed from, he said.
“He’s a great person to have in class. He’s a terrific resource,” Campbell said. “He has clear self knowledge. He’s a cocky person, but not one that repels you, he’s one that interest you.”
Spry said finishing his doctoral program at Columbia is really the beginning for him. His aim is to master multiple disciplines. After he earns his Ph.D., he’d like to teach at a university where he can also pursue a master’s in fine arts and return to his passions in writing and art.
“The artistic, academic and writing all inform who I am, and I can’t ignore them,” he explained. “It’s hard to balance the three things, but I never can control how an idea will express itself – in words, a logical statement or a picture.”
Spry is currently searching for apartments in Manhattan and excited to continue pursing his passions. Still, he said he realizes it is important for him to stay grounded and that getting a Ph.D. won’t make him “hot stuff.”
“This (fellowship) doesn’t prove that I’m awesome. It’s my chance to prove I’m awesome,” Spry said.
To learn more about the fellowship program, visit www.cic.edu/projects_services/grants/americangrad.asp.
Photo by Chris Hunt '07.
While Spry was identified as a finalist in late January, his award was contingent upon admission and full-time enrollment in a humanities doctoral program at one of 23 private research institutions in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland.
“They are all very much the upper echelon, very prestigious, very traditional universities,” Spry said. “I chose those who were most forgiving for non-traditional studies.”
Spry applied to Cornell, Yale, Columbia and New York University. He was accepted at his second choice, Columbia University, and he’ll begin classes there this fall.
Columbia granted him full tuition remission, a healthcare plan and $20,000 in living expenses. Spry said he’s not sure how much of the $50,000 he’ll receive from the fellowship during the next two years, especially since he received a generous financial aid package from Columbia.
“It’s interesting because I stand to make more money this year than I’ll ever make again in my life,” he joked.
Spry plans to earn two master’s degrees in the next two years, one in art and literature and the other in philosophy. He’ll spend the next three to four years writing his doctoral thesis, which he’s tentatively titled, “The Unhyphenated American.” It will look at the work of American writers as they try to identify what it means to be an American – not a Native American or Irish American, simply an American, he explained.
“He’s really well prepared for (Columbia) in that he’s got a pretty good idea of what he wants to do,” said English professor Tom Campbell. “He’s got this ability to make things happen that need to happen. I have great confidence it him. He’ll be influenced in all the right ways in that environment.”
Spry grew up on a Montana reservation, deep in the Native American culture. It was a rural, impoverished community that didn’t have a good education system. He credits his curious nature, his parents and his family’s move to Idaho after his freshman year of high school with allowing him to succeed academically.
“My parents read to us, took us to museums and made sure we watched plenty of PBS,” he said. “They taught us – I have two sisters – that no one will take responsibility of your life but yourself and you must make something of it.”
He learned to think critically at a young age. When his mom grounded him from watching television for misbehaving, he dragged a mirror in front of the television. When his mom walked by and asked what he was doing, he told her he was “watching the mirror.” His mom let the precociousness slide since because his method of subverting the TV ban was so creative.
“Analytical thinking is the most important skill and it’s the one the fewest people develop,” Spry said. “If you can dig deeper, you’ll find out more about yourself and the world around you.”
A double major in English/creative writing and art, Spry has taken advantage of just about every resource available on campus. He regularly met with his professors outside of class to pick their brains.
“These people are brilliant. They’re fascinating people who are much more eloquent about the things I’m passionate about,” Spry said. “It’s like hanging out with rock stars.”
During his time here, Spry said his professors have refused to “be immediately impressed.” They’ve continually pushed him and never allowed him to settle for mediocre results. His professors in the English department have been especially supportive, he said.
Campbell said he learned as much from Spry as Spry learned from him. Spry has a very different perspective on a lot of topics, and that prompted Campbell to dig deeper and learn where those ideas developed from, he said.
“He’s a great person to have in class. He’s a terrific resource,” Campbell said. “He has clear self knowledge. He’s a cocky person, but not one that repels you, he’s one that interest you.”
Spry said finishing his doctoral program at Columbia is really the beginning for him. His aim is to master multiple disciplines. After he earns his Ph.D., he’d like to teach at a university where he can also pursue a master’s in fine arts and return to his passions in writing and art.
“The artistic, academic and writing all inform who I am, and I can’t ignore them,” he explained. “It’s hard to balance the three things, but I never can control how an idea will express itself – in words, a logical statement or a picture.”
Spry is currently searching for apartments in Manhattan and excited to continue pursing his passions. Still, he said he realizes it is important for him to stay grounded and that getting a Ph.D. won’t make him “hot stuff.”
“This (fellowship) doesn’t prove that I’m awesome. It’s my chance to prove I’m awesome,” Spry said.
To learn more about the fellowship program, visit www.cic.edu/projects_services/grants/americangrad.asp.
Photo by Chris Hunt '07.