WKU News
Two WKU Alumni Designated Alternates in Fulbright US Student Program Competition
- Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023
In addition to the five WKU alumni and graduating seniors awarded Fulbright US Student grants this spring, Paige Figueroa (‘22 Economics and Spanish) and Jaclyn Schiess (‘22 Dance) have been named alternates.
The Fulbright US Student Program offers full funding for graduating seniors and recent graduates to spend an academic year abroad in English Teaching Assistantships or conducting research or creative projects that may or may not be part of a postgraduate degree program.
Paige (Peters) Figueroa applied for the Fulbright IE University Award for a Master’s degree in International Development in Spain. Paige previously applied as a graduating senior and found the application process both clarifying and encouraging regardless of outcome. “The first time I applied for Fulbright was in 2021 and I didn’t have a solid idea of what I wanted my next few years to look like. I used the Fulbright application process to really think about what was important to me. OSD supported me in connecting all the little pieces in my life and creating this completed puzzle of what I wanted my future to look like. Even though I didn’t get it, I ended up moving to Texas and getting a job in the field that I first wrote my application about.” Paige is a research assistant in education statistics at the American Institutes for Research, the first step in a career aimed at addressing education inequality.
Jaclyn Schiess applied for the Fulbright/University of Roehampton Award in Dance in the United Kingdom. A pivotal experience with a family friend who lost his vision as an adult transformed an interest in dance education to inclusive dance pedagogy. In her senior year, Jaclyn completed research on dance pedagogy for people of differing cognitive and physical abilities. She plans to pursue graduate study in dance education and teach at the university level.
Melinda Grimsley, who serves as Fulbright Program Advisor for the Fulbright US Student Program at WKU, said that alternates should be considered “awards without funding.” “I’ve been on the inside of selection committees many times, either as a member or observer, and I can confirm that's true,” she said. “The distinctions that selection committees have to make at the end are incredibly fine. Paige and Jaclyn and every other applicant who receive that ‘so close!’ email have every reason to be proud of themselves and feel confident about the project they propose and their ability to do it at a world-class institution abroad.”
Paige also had words of encouragement for any applicant who doesn’t achieve their award goal the first (or second) time. “If you’re like me from my first application, reading over who ended up having a successful application and being a little broken-hearted, promise yourself to come back a little stronger next year. There are so many lovely people in the office of OSD who will help to build you back up again even better!”
About the Fulbright Program: The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development mentors students applying for national scholarships to fund “academic extras” such as study abroad, research, professional experience, and more. From first drafts to final submissions with multiple revisions in between, OSD helps students make more possible. By conceptualizing and revising the stories they tell in application essays and interviews, students better understand their strengths, interests, and purpose—and explore multiple possible pathways to that work.
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