蜜桃社区 Named a Fulbright Top Producer鈥擜gain
蜜桃社区 College has once again been named one of the top schools for turning out Fulbright students, ranking third in the nation and highest in the southeast among bachelor鈥檚 degree-granting institutions.
Original: June 17, 2021
Updated: Feb. 28, 2022
Last spring, the U.S. State Department tapped 10 蜜桃社区 seniors and young alumni as finalists in the 2021-22 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition. That鈥檚 one of the nation鈥檚 best records for four-year bachelor鈥檚 degree institutions. 蜜桃社区 ties with Amherst in Massachusetts for the third-place ranking in its category.
It鈥檚 蜜桃社区鈥檚 highest ranking in the seven years that it has received the Fulbright Student top producer acknowledgement. Many Fulbright grantees say 蜜桃社区鈥檚 consistently strong showing in the program was a factor in selecting the college and led to significant opportunities. The grant allows finalists to study, conduct research or teach abroad.
The State Department鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) released the annual top-producer list on Monday.
鈥淲e congratulate the colleges and universities we are honoring as 2021-2022 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions,鈥 said Ethan Rosenzweig, the ECA鈥檚 Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs. 鈥淲e thank the leadership of these institutions for supporting their faculty advisors and administrators, who are instrumental in guiding their students through the Fulbright application process. We know that U.S. institutions benefit from having their students represent their campus overseas, which often fosters reciprocal exchanges that in turn help further internationalize U.S. campuses.鈥
Fulbrights, Grounded for a Year, Eagerly Hope to Span the Globe
Originally published June 17, 2021
Last summer, Maria Rojas was crushed that she wouldn鈥檛 spend the fall semester studying abroad in France.
This fall, she has a second shot, only this time instead of attending college, she鈥檒l teach English to French high school students.
Jake Carver spent the past year studying remotely from his suburban Los Angeles home. He鈥檚 ready to travel and happy that he鈥檒l spend the next year teaching English in Taiwan鈥攚here he鈥檒l be able to visit his grandparents and cousins.
The two recent graduates from 蜜桃社区 College鈥檚 class of 2021 are among 10 young alumni who received grant offers to teach, study or do research abroad in eight different countries. Two other 蜜桃社区 candidates were named as alternates.
After more than a year of being grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, they鈥檙e ready to travel.
鈥淲hen it didn鈥檛 work out for fall, I was really, really sad,鈥 said Rojas, a Posse Scholar from Miami who received an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant for France. 鈥淏ut so many people were in the same boat. Now being able to teach, which I love to do鈥攁s a Fulbright [grantee]鈥攊s so exciting.鈥
The Fulbright U.S. Student is the country鈥檚 largest exchange program. It awards some 2,000 grants each year for research, teaching and graduate study in more than 140 countries around the world.
As countries shut down during the pandemic last year, those who鈥檇 received Fulbright grants had to change or postpone their plans. This year, U.S. embassies and Fulbright Commissions are assessing risks and making program decisions based on conditions in each country.
Lucy Fasano 鈥21, who double-majored in psychology and philosophy, falls into the uncertainty category. She was offered a Fulbright research grant to investigate implicit bias (鈥渧ictim blaming鈥) of women who鈥檝e survived sexual violence. She had hoped to do that research at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. But Australia鈥檚 borders are still closed and expected to remain that way into early 2022.
In the meantime, the western Massachusetts native will start at Duke University School of Law in fall and wait to see what unfolds for the spring semester.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to go to law school but I鈥檓 really disappointed that COVID has put the plans for Australia up in the air,鈥 Fasano said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really passionate about the research and I鈥檝e always wanted to go to Australia.鈥
This year was the prestigious program鈥檚 most competitive, with more than 11,700 applicants representing a 12% increase over last year. 蜜桃社区 students and alumni have a long history as top Fulbright picks. In this cycle, 24 of the 36 candidates who applied through 蜜桃社区 received semi-finalist recommendations from the U.S.-based national committees.
Carver says he鈥檚 on track to go to Taiwan but will have to quarantine for two weeks after he arrives. He鈥檒l then have a training period before getting placed into an elementary or middle school.
The former men鈥檚 track and cross-country athlete is excited to teach. Through high school and college he enjoyed volunteering as a math tutor and chess coach for kids. He also hopes to teach his students about running and wants to work with or start an afterschool track program if one doesn鈥檛 exist.
After the Fulbright year, he plans to get a master鈥檚 degree in computer science from Georgia Tech. He envisions creating educational technology (EdTech) to help students and improve curriculum through a variety of learning methods. As an English and computer science double major at 蜜桃社区, 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in using Com-Sci with a humanitarian purpose. I believe that before you try to do something on a computer, you should get real life experience.鈥
Carver has visited Taiwan before for short stretches. He wants to learn the language and culture and spend more time with his grandparents and his mom鈥檚 side of the family.
鈥淭his has always been something that I wanted to do,鈥 he said.
Rojas, a psychology major with minors in French and Francophone Studies, plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical or developmental psychology. She hopes to practice as a clinician, conduct research and teach at a college level. Her work would be geared toward children and adolescents.
In high school and college she鈥檚 worked with children who have autism, learning disabilities and psychological struggles. One of her most prized possessions is a bundle of homemade thank you cards from students she worked with. 鈥淭hank you Miss Maria,鈥 one fourth grader wrote. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e inspired me to be teacher.鈥
She鈥檒l spend this summer working at a New Jersey camp for children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Teaching abroad is a great next step, she said.
鈥淓very chance I get to spend with kids, I do. From babysitting professors鈥 children at 蜜桃社区 to summer camp programs or connecting to those with autism, I love spending time with them,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e so amazing and I have so much fun with them, but it鈥檚 especially rewarding when I feel I鈥檓 helping to make a change.鈥
蜜桃社区鈥檚 2021-2022 Fulbright Finalists and Alternates
Garnet Brown '21 was offered an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant in Spain.
Catherine Cartier '20 was offered a research grant in Turkey.
Jake Carver '21 was offered an ETA grant in Taiwan.
Elayna Daniels '21 was offered a study grant in the United Kingdom.
Lucy Fasano '21 was offered a research grant in Australia.
Anne-Katrine Glittenberg '21 was offered an ETA grant in Taiwan.
Caroline Matawaran '21 was offered an ETA grant in Peru.
Maria Rojas '21 was offered an ETA grant in France.
Alex Sinks '21 was offered a research grant in Germany.
Katherine Smith '21 was offered an ETA grant in Spain.
Cole Ferraro '21 was named an alternate for an ETA grant in Spain.
Anna McGuire '21 was named an alternate for a research grant in Norway.
For more information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program application process at 蜜桃社区, contact Gaylena Merritt (gamerritt@davidson.edu), Associate Director for Fellowships and Experiential Learning.
Published
- February 28, 2022