Allyson Horst is a sophomore from Naples, Florida, and a 2025-26 Bridge Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is double-majoring in Public Policy and Geography with a minor in Education. Her academic and research interests focus on experimental education practices and teachers’ rights in U.S. public schools.
Most recently, Allyson completed the Zietlow Fellowship through Carolina Public Humanities, where she spent eight months researching teacher retention rates in North Carolina’s Triangle region. Her work, grounded in both data analysis and educator interviews, culminated in a documentary that premiered in April.
Additionally, Allyson serves as Treasurer of the Daily Tar Heel Board of Directors, a Matriculate Advising Fellow mentoring high school seniors, Co-Director of the Honors Carolina Marketing Committee, and co-host of the Catalyze podcast with the Morehead-Cain Foundation. She is also an Agora Fellow in the Program for Public Discourse.
During her Bridge Year, Allyson plans to deepen her understanding of global education systems by volunteering in primary schools across Northern India, Nepal, Guatemala, and Peru. She hopes to gain firsthand insight into student development, educational policy, and teacher preparation in international contexts.
Fun Fact: She lived on a sailboat for a week in the Florida Keys.