Kerby Gilstrap, a 2022 graduate in International Affairs and Arabic from Bowling Green, is WKU’s fourth Fulbright US Student Program grantee of the 2023-24 award year. Kerby has been awarded an English Teaching Assistantship for Algeria. 

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.  

Kerby is a frequent flyer in the Office of Scholar Development, applying for several nationally competitive opportunities during her undergraduate career. She was designated an alternate for a Gilman Scholarship for an intensive Arabic language program in Morocco in 2019 and earned a Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in Moroccoin 2022. Kerby says, “Working with the Office of Scholar Development, the Global Learning Office, and the Arabic Department during my undergraduate career at WKU, I was able to realize many goals and piece together my story which led me to apply for an English Teaching Assistantship to Algeria.”  

Kerby especially looks forward to serving the Fulbright mission of encouraging mutual understanding. “Since my youth, storytelling, -sharing, and -learning have been integral parts of my life, and when I travel to new places, I bring stories of Kentucky, and when I return home, I tell stories of my host community,” she says. “Most Kentuckians have a negative view of the Middle East due to a lack of positive exposure. I chose to study Arabic to learn about the Arab World and dispel stereotypes I heard growing up. I am most excited to connect with locals and collect their stories during my Fulbright experience. And I am secondly most excited to sip a nice coffee in an Algerian cafe, enjoying the slowness of life compared to the US.” 

Kerby is currently working as Director of Character Development in the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association, having come full circle from participating in the full range of KY YMCA programming as a high school student that she credits with growing her love of travel and adventure. Her long-term plans in sustainability are interwoven with mentorship and community building, and developed out of engagement in research in the Department of Political Science and leading WKU’s QatarDebate team in international competition. 

“My dream is to work in climate change mitigation in the MENA. While in Algeria, I hope to connect with Algerians and ask them about the impacts climate change has had on their community. These stories are not only the most compelling but also the most fruitful for finding solutions and mitigation tactics that work in that context,” she says. “I hope through my experience as an ETA, I am able to understand the cultural networks of Algeria and the greater North African region so that someday, I can assist in promoting culturally relevant solutions to climate-related issues. I also hope I can show my Algerian students aspects of American culture they have never heard of and give Kentucky, my home, more significance than KFC.” 

Although she plans to spend a lot of time across the Atlantic, Kerby remains committed to expanding opportunities for students in her home state and stoking their curiosity in collaborative international futures. She says, “While I plan to pursue these big international dreams, I also plan to stay connected to Kentucky by continuing to mentor youth across the state to dream of international careers. Kentuckians are capable of big things.” 

Students and recent alumni interested in the Fulbright US Student Program are encouraged to contact Melinda Grimsley, WKU’s Fulbright Program Advisor.  

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.