{"id":13657,"date":"2020-07-06T11:23:45","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T15:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=13657"},"modified":"2022-03-21T16:13:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T20:13:35","slug":"fulbright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/fulbright\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulbright Honors Five from K"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five Kalamazoo College representatives are receiving one of the highest honors the federal government provides in regard to scholarship and international exchange. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program<\/a> offers fellowships for graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year. Some of the programs are in doubt and travel availability is uncertain this year given the COVID-19 pandemic. However, K\u2019s representatives, should their programs ranging from Austria to Vietnam be uninterrupted, include several from the classes of 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n

\"Fulbright
Georgie Andrews ’20 plans to visit Austria through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Georgie Andrews \u201920, Austria<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andrews was a business<\/a> and studio art<\/a> major at K, where she played on the women\u2019s soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. She quickly became homesick when she traveled to Austria as a high school student, but her K study abroad experience in Bonn, Germany, led to her desire to travel more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved the\u00a0culture\u00a0and the atmosphere, and I was not homesick, which has made me feel like I could live there longer,\u201d she said. \u201cI think the main reason I wanted to return after study abroad was loving the public transportation, easy access to other countries, and the small grocery stores. I thought Fulbright would be a good chance to learn about myself as a teacher and also get to live in Austria or Germany again and continue to work on my German.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grace Beck \u201919, Colombia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beck was a biology<\/a> and Spanish<\/a> double major at K, where she joined the Asian Pacific Islander Student Association and Frelon, participated in World Night and Asia Fest, and volunteered as a teacher\u2019s assistant at El Sol elementary in Kalamazoo.<\/p>\n

\"Fulbright
COVID-19 has forced Fulbright to cancel the program in Colombia for Grace Beck ’19, but she hopes to return to Spain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI was very lucky to have an amazing study abroad experience in Ecuador and it definitely inspired me to seek more opportunities to live abroad after college, especially in South America,\u201d Beck said. \u201cI’ve also had the chance to travel to Peru, and in both countries, I was blown away by the beautiful scenery and the incredibly warm and friendly people I met. I decided to apply for the Fulbright in Colombia because I wanted to explore another country in South America.\u201d<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Fulbright to cancel the program in Colombia, but Beck hopes to return to Spain this fall, where she was an English assistant this past school year in Murcia, Spain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy students were at times chaotic, but extremely eager to learn English and about where I came from,\u201d Beck said. \u201cEvery time I said \u2018Michigan,\u2019 they heard \u2018Mexico.\u2019 When the lockdown started in mid-March, everyone in Spain had to\u00a0stay inside for nearly 50 days, and my school asked for my help with online lessons. I chatted with my students about various topics and even played games like Bingo with them on Zoom. It was a strange but fun year and I’m looking forward to moving to Madrid in the fall if travel is possible. I still hope to get to Colombia one day, too, when this is all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paige Chung \u201920, Vietnam<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Paige
Paige Chung ’20 plans to visit Vietnam thanks to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chung double majored in critical ethnic studies<\/a> and English<\/a> with a creative writing focus at K, where she worked in the Writing Center, Intercultural Center and Residential Life. She also participated in the Chinese Lion Dance Troupe and tried swimming, tae kwon do, K du Soleil and the improvisation group Monkapult.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose K because I wanted to be far away from home,\u201d Chung said. \u201cI fell in love with the brick road and the tight knit community when I came to visit. It also helps that they offer competitive financial aid packages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chung said she is thrilled to visit Vietnam as a member of the Vietnamese diaspora.<\/p>\n

\u201cI plan to eat food all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cVietnam is abundant with flavors, textures and smells. I love my people’s food more than anything. I also plan to practice my language learning and build relationships in Vietnam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Brett
In Moldova, Brett Fitzgerald plans to volunteer with a nongovernmental organization, expand his musical interests, speak at conferences and universities, and work on his language skills through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brett Fitzgerald \u201919, Moldova<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fitzgerald was a political science<\/a> and economics<\/a> double major at K while playing on the men\u2019s lacrosse team. He also was a clarinetist with the Symphonic Band and performed in several recitals.<\/p>\n

His study abroad experience in Strasbourg, France, included volunteering at the AGORA\u00e9 at the University of Strasbourg, an organization providing discount food and a social environment to low-income college students. An Elton W. Ham Grant, provided by K’s Political Science Department, and later allowed Fitzgerald to study child poverty in Romania.<\/p>\n

\u201cI jumped at the opportunity to teach English in Moldova through the Fulbright program not only because of its fascinating history and intercultural population, but also because the experience I gained through my Ham grant,\u201d Fitzgerald said. \u201cIf it weren’t for the College’s support in allowing me the opportunity to study elements of my SIP in Romania, and thereby gaining a greater connection to education abroad and its impacts on shaping future generations in the region, I may not have even applied to the Fulbright in Moldova.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Moldova, he hopes to volunteer with a nongovernmental organization, expand his musical interests, speak at conferences and universities, and work on his language skills.<\/p>\n

Fitzgerald credits Jessica Fowle ’00 and Anne Dueweke ’84, who have been K’s directors of grants, fellowships and research during his application process, for providing the guidance that have led to his opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew
Matthew Flotemersch ’20 will teach at a school in Hamburg, Germany, through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matthew Flotemersch \u201920, Germany<\/strong><\/p>\n

During his time at K, Flotemersch \u2014 a German studies<\/a> major and philosophy<\/a> minor \u2014 played on the men\u2019s soccer team, acted through the Festival Playhouse, participated in Monkapult, and had a study abroad experience in Erlangen, Germany.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy last week of study abroad was hectic,\u201d he said. \u201cBetween packing, planning, goodbyes and everything else, I never really had a moment to just reflect on everything that I had done there in a year, everything that I had experienced. When my train pulled away from Erlangen for the last time, though, all the memories and feelings flooded back to me. With them came the realization that I had to return, through Fulbright or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he returns to Germany through Fulbright, he will teach at a school in Hamburg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can’t emphasize enough how excited I am to immerse myself in the culture and language again; this time, though, with a year of experience in Germany and another year of language courses at K under my belt,\u201d Flotemersch said. \u201cAny student abroad wants to take time to travel and explore, and of course I want to do more of that, but with my Fulbright year I want to be more active in my local community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Avila Selected as Alternate<\/strong><\/p>\n

A sixth K representative, Juan Avila \u201919, has been named a Fulbright alternate. He could be selected to serve the program in Andorra should additional funds or an additional place become available.<\/p>\n

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants, chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. K consistently has been identified in recent years as one of the country\u2019s top-producing Fulbright small colleges. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.<\/p>\n

More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 fields of study are offered Fulbright awards each year in more than 140 countries throughout the world. The program, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is managed through the U.S. Department of State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five Kalamazoo College representatives are receiving one of the highest honors the federal government provides in regard to scholarship and international exchange. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year. Some of the programs are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":13670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[232,235,231],"tags":[195],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-13657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-institutional-announcements","category-students","tag-fulbright"],"yoast_head":"\r\nFulbright Selects Five with K Ties for U.S. Student Program<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program gives graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists a chance to serve abroad.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/fulbright\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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The Fulbright <a href=\"https:\/\/us.fulbrightonline.org\/fulbright-us-student-program\">U.S. Student Program<\/a> offers fellowships for graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year. Some of the programs are in doubt and travel availability is uncertain this year given the COVID-19 pandemic. However, K\u2019s representatives, should their programs ranging from Austria to Vietnam be uninterrupted, include several from the classes of 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13659\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13659\" style=\"width: 230px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13659\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2020\/07\/Fulbright-Scholar-Georgie-Andrews-300x441.jpg\" alt=\"Fulbright Scholar Georgie Andrews\" width=\"230\" height=\"334\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13659\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Georgie Andrews ’20 plans to visit Austria through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Georgie Andrews \u201920, Austria<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Andrews was a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/economics-business\/\">business<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/art\/\">studio art<\/a> major at K, where she played on the women\u2019s soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. She quickly became homesick when she traveled to Austria as a high school student, but her K study abroad experience in Bonn, Germany, led to her desire to travel more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI loved the\u00a0culture\u00a0and the atmosphere, and I was not homesick, which has made me feel like I could live there longer,\u201d she said. \u201cI think the main reason I wanted to return after study abroad was loving the public transportation, easy access to other countries, and the small grocery stores. I thought Fulbright would be a good chance to learn about myself as a teacher and also get to live in Austria or Germany again and continue to work on my German.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grace Beck \u201919, Colombia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Beck was a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/biology\/\">biology<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/spanish\/\">Spanish<\/a> double major at K, where she joined the Asian Pacific Islander Student Association and Frelon, participated in World Night and Asia Fest, and volunteered as a teacher\u2019s assistant at El Sol elementary in Kalamazoo.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13661\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13661\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13661\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2020\/07\/Fulbright-Scholar-Grace-Beck-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Fulbright Scholar Grace Beck\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13661\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">COVID-19 has forced Fulbright to cancel the program in Colombia for Grace Beck ’19, but she hopes to return to Spain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI was very lucky to have an amazing study abroad experience in Ecuador and it definitely inspired me to seek more opportunities to live abroad after college, especially in South America,\u201d Beck said. \u201cI’ve also had the chance to travel to Peru, and in both countries, I was blown away by the beautiful scenery and the incredibly warm and friendly people I met. I decided to apply for the Fulbright in Colombia because I wanted to explore another country in South America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Fulbright to cancel the program in Colombia, but Beck hopes to return to Spain this fall, where she was an English assistant this past school year in Murcia, Spain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy students were at times chaotic, but extremely eager to learn English and about where I came from,\u201d Beck said. \u201cEvery time I said \u2018Michigan,\u2019 they heard \u2018Mexico.\u2019 When the lockdown started in mid-March, everyone in Spain had to\u00a0stay inside for nearly 50 days, and my school asked for my help with online lessons. I chatted with my students about various topics and even played games like Bingo with them on Zoom. It was a strange but fun year and I’m looking forward to moving to Madrid in the fall if travel is possible. I still hope to get to Colombia one day, too, when this is all over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paige Chung \u201920, Vietnam<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13664\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13664\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13664\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2020\/07\/Paige-Chung-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"Paige Chung\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paige Chung ’20 plans to visit Vietnam thanks to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Chung double majored in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/critical-ethnic-studies\/\">critical ethnic studies<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/english\/\">English<\/a> with a creative writing focus at K, where she worked in the Writing Center, Intercultural Center and Residential Life. She also participated in the Chinese Lion Dance Troupe and tried swimming, tae kwon do, K du Soleil and the improvisation group Monkapult.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI chose K because I wanted to be far away from home,\u201d Chung said. \u201cI fell in love with the brick road and the tight knit community when I came to visit. It also helps that they offer competitive financial aid packages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chung said she is thrilled to visit Vietnam as a member of the Vietnamese diaspora.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI plan to eat food all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cVietnam is abundant with flavors, textures and smells. I love my people’s food more than anything. I also plan to practice my language learning and build relationships in Vietnam.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13667\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13667\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13667\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2020\/07\/Brett-Fitzgerald.jpg\" alt=\"Brett Fitzgerald\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13667\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In Moldova, Brett Fitzgerald plans to volunteer with a nongovernmental organization, expand his musical interests, speak at conferences and universities, and work on his language skills through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Brett Fitzgerald \u201919, Moldova<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fitzgerald was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/political-science\/\">political science<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/economics-business\/\">economics<\/a> double major at K while playing on the men\u2019s lacrosse team. He also was a clarinetist with the Symphonic Band and performed in several recitals.<\/p>\n<p>His study abroad experience in Strasbourg, France, included volunteering at the AGORA\u00e9 at the University of Strasbourg, an organization providing discount food and a social environment to low-income college students. An Elton W. Ham Grant, provided by K’s Political Science Department, and later allowed Fitzgerald to study child poverty in Romania.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI jumped at the opportunity to teach English in Moldova through the Fulbright program not only because of its fascinating history and intercultural population, but also because the experience I gained through my Ham grant,\u201d Fitzgerald said. \u201cIf it weren’t for the College’s support in allowing me the opportunity to study elements of my SIP in Romania, and thereby gaining a greater connection to education abroad and its impacts on shaping future generations in the region, I may not have even applied to the Fulbright in Moldova.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Moldova, he hopes to volunteer with a nongovernmental organization, expand his musical interests, speak at conferences and universities, and work on his language skills.<\/p>\n<p>Fitzgerald credits Jessica Fowle ’00 and Anne Dueweke ’84, who have been K’s directors of grants, fellowships and research during his application process, for providing the guidance that have led to his opportunity.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13669\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13669\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13669\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2020\/07\/Matthew-Flotemersch-300x303.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Flotemersch\" width=\"300\" height=\"303\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13669\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matthew Flotemersch ’20 will teach at a school in Hamburg, Germany, through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Matthew Flotemersch \u201920, Germany<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During his time at K, Flotemersch \u2014 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/german\/\">German studies<\/a> major and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/philosophy\/\">philosophy<\/a> minor \u2014 played on the men\u2019s soccer team, acted through the Festival Playhouse, participated in Monkapult, and had a study abroad experience in Erlangen, Germany.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy last week of study abroad was hectic,\u201d he said. \u201cBetween packing, planning, goodbyes and everything else, I never really had a moment to just reflect on everything that I had done there in a year, everything that I had experienced. When my train pulled away from Erlangen for the last time, though, all the memories and feelings flooded back to me. With them came the realization that I had to return, through Fulbright or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When he returns to Germany through Fulbright, he will teach at a school in Hamburg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can’t emphasize enough how excited I am to immerse myself in the culture and language again; this time, though, with a year of experience in Germany and another year of language courses at K under my belt,\u201d Flotemersch said. \u201cAny student abroad wants to take time to travel and explore, and of course I want to do more of that, but with my Fulbright year I want to be more active in my local community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Avila Selected as Alternate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A sixth K representative, Juan Avila \u201919, has been named a Fulbright alternate. He could be selected to serve the program in Andorra should additional funds or an additional place become available.<\/p>\n<p>Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants, chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. K consistently has been identified in recent years as one of the country\u2019s top-producing Fulbright small colleges. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.<\/p>\n<p>More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 fields of study are offered Fulbright awards each year in more than 140 countries throughout the world. The program, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is managed through the U.S. Department of State.<\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13657"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13700,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13657\/revisions\/13700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13657"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=13657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}