Fulbright Recipients

Noah Chun ’26, Molly Stevison ’26, Molly Muenzenmaier ’26, Elizabeth Muenzenmaier ’26, Kelley Akerley ’24 and Kaleb (Kai) Sydloski ’23 will be participating in the U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) Program in Austria. The USTA Program is administered by Fulbright Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education. 

Shruti Debburman ’26 will continue her studies in France through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, which provides opportunities for graduate study, research and English teaching abroad. 

K has been recognized as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students  in six of the past seven years. Graduating seniors apply through their educational institutions, while alumni apply through their institutions or as at-large candidates. 

Debburman is especially excited to return to France after spending six months studying abroad in Clermont-Ferrand during her junior year. At Université Paris 8, she will examine relationships between mysticism and creative expression in late medieval France. After completing her Fulbright, Debburman plans to pursue a Master of Divinity degree at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music. 

“Specifically, I’ll be looking at how mystical theology and Marian devotional practices were reflected in art, music and literature at the time,” Debburman said. “My goal is to use what I learn to contribute to scholarship on medieval French religion and culture through an article and some sort of digital humanities platform. I’d also like to learn to play some of the music that I study to give a lecture-recital once I return.” 

Sydloski and Chun both received offers for fellowships in Germany and Austria. Both ultimately chose Austria, noting the allure of the big city of Vienna. 

“I am from a more rural community here in Michigan, and the opportunity to live in a large city where I can meet people from all over the world was something that I could not turn down,” Sydloski said. “My biggest goal is to continue to improve my German and learn the different dialects of the German language.” 

Chun noted the personal growth opportunity he has in Vienna. 

“I want to take classes at the university, travel as much as I can, and experience as much of what is out there as possible,” he said. 

Akerley will be teaching English at an agricultural school in Upper Austria. 

“I hope to learn more about the nuances of the school system and improve my understanding of the Austrian dialect,” she said. “I also look forward to exploring the more rural parts of Austria that I haven’t been able to during my brief visits before.” 

Stevison noted she spent nearly all of her time on study abroad as a junior in Western Europe. This time, she hopes to explore Eastern Europe.   

“I would feel accomplished if I made it as much of a cultural exchange as possible instead of merely a one-way flow of information,” she said. “I’m helping mostly teenagers, so I’m sure there is a lot more that they can teach me about. On top of that, I hope to immerse myself in various other cultures through traveling.” 

K faculty are also represented among this year’s Fulbright recipients. Associate Professor of History Rochelle Rojas received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Costa Rica to work on her manuscript project, titled Science, Healing, and Ways of Knowing in Premodern Costa Rica. 

Rojas will draw from archaeological records, including the petrospheres of the Diquís Delta, museum collections and colonial archives to offer the first comprehensive history of science and medicine in the region from the precolonial era through the independence era. She will be among about 380 U.S. citizens selected to teach, conduct research or provide expertise in about 120 countries. Recipients are chosen based on academic and professional achievement, service and demonstrated leadership.  

TAPIF Honorees

In addition to Fulbright honorees, three recent graduates earned teaching assistantships through TAPIF. Eleanor Bernas ’26, Karis Mulcahy ’26 and Lauren Stallman ’26 will join about 1,200 Americans selected by the French government for the program. 

Bernas, for example, will serve in the Clermont-Ferrand region. She said the experience is an opportunity to give back after benefiting from French teaching assistants during her time at K. 

“I hope to embody the way these assistants were engaging and welcoming, allowing me to make mistakes without judgment as they taught me more about French culture,” Bernas said. 

TAPIF, a joint initiative of the French Ministry of Education and France Éducation International, places native English speakers in French public schools to teach English, improve their language skills and experience French culture. Participants typically lead conversation groups and assist classroom teachers for about 12 hours each week over seven months while receiving a stipend and access to public health care. Contracts may be renewed up to three times. After completing the program, many teaching assistants pursue international careers in education, business, public health, policy and development, and arts and culture administration. 

For all ten recipients, the coming year represents a chance to engage the world not just as observers, but as contributors. Whether researching Costa Rican science, exploring medieval mysticism in Parisian archives or helping Austrian and French students build English skills, they carry forward the curiosity and cross-cultural fluency that K has long fostered.