Parker Raybourne, a 2022 graduate in Political Science, Public Relations, and Advertising, is WKU’s fifth Fulbright US Student Program grantee of the 2023-24 award year. Parker has been awarded an English Teaching Assistantship for Indonesia. 

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.  

A native of Versailles, Parker will bring an adventurous spirit and deep experience in international exchange and youth development to his role as an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia. He is currently serving as the student experience intern at Harlaxton College in the UK, where he looks after the dozens of American students who live and study in the former manor house for a semester. Before graduating, he himself studied abroad in twelve different countries and served as a Global Ambassador and Advisor for some of the most challenging COVID-era years in WKU Global. In addition, each summer since 2018, Parker has served as an intern and Assistant Summer Camp Director for YMCA of the Rockies, mentoring counselors and leading more than 1000 campers in traditional camping activities and backcountry expeditions. 

“I know that serving as an ETA in Indonesia will be life changing. I hope to strengthen my understanding of cultures that are very different from mine while gaining new perspectives. The goal of a Fulbright ETA is to build mutual understanding. I look forward to this one-of-a-kind sharing opportunity,” says Parker. 

On and off campus, Parker has applied his academic interests, understanding of government, and communication skills in several meaningful directions that will help him navigate the complex responsibility of representing the United States abroad. He served both as a Senator and Chief of Staff in the Student Government Association and represented Potter College on the Dean’s Council of Students. In Frankfort, he worked in the Legislative Research Commission, the machinery of the state legislative process, and advocated for college students as a YMCA representative before the U.S. Congress. 

In his application, Parker reflected on traditions like country-ham-curing in Versailles where people continuously weave the threads of community together. He is excited to observe and participate in traditions that hold Indonesian communities together. “Ultimately, I am fulfilled by working with others and building community. I look forward to the lessons and challenges of teaching English and becoming part of a community in Indonesia will continue to shape me,” says Parker. 

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.