Seven University of North Georgia students and alumni have been named 2023-24 Fulbright scholars. This brings the total of UNG Fulbright scholars to 45 since the 2015-16 academic year.
Ashley Fish, Karen Garcia, Madeline Grasso, former cadet Anna Kubas, Norma Martinez, and Grace Maurer have been selected as finalists. 2nd Lt. Phillip Ly and Emelia Thompson are alternates. One student declined the opportunity.
The Fulbright is a prestigious, highly competitive fellowship that enables recent graduates and graduate students to pursue research, earn a graduate degree or teach English overseas. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and residents of more than 160 foreign countries, according to the Fulbright website.
“UNG students are uniquely positioned to excel as leaders abroad, and they return with experiences that enhance their communities,” Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and head of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, said.
Maurer, a spring 2022 graduate with a degree in biology, earned a Fiji Research Award grant. She is UNG’s first recipient of a Fulbright research award.
“It is extremely rewarding to have received the opportunity to participate in Fulbright,” Maurer said. “I look forward to learning more about the Fijian way of life and our natural world. I am thankful for all the support I received in the rigorous process.”
Garcia, ‘22, will be teaching English in South Korea. The Clarkesville, Georgia, resident earned a degree in modern languages with a Spanish language and literature concentration with a minor in Korean.
“I am beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to teach abroad and experience a different cultural setting. It’s nerve-wracking knowing that I will be in another country on my own, but I’m sure it will be a rewarding experience,” Garcia said.
Grasso is a senior pursuing a degree in modern languages with an Arabic language and literature concentration and a minor in political science. Before embarking on her Fulbright to Brazil, she is headed to Thailand, where she will be an English teaching assistant as part of Teach Thailand Corps, teaching at a K-12 school.
“I will be involved in language education and cultural exchange both inside and outside of the classroom, helping with formal instruction and getting involved in student organizations,” Grasso said.
She will begin her Brazil Fulbright, also focused on teaching, in 2024. While there, the Cumming, Georgia, resident will complete a supplementary project during her grant period studying the Arab diaspora in Brazil and the many other communities that contribute to Brazil’s multiculturalism at a teacher-training institute.
“As a Fulbright scholar I have the unique opportunity to be a cultural ambassador on behalf of the United States while immersing myself in a new culture, promoting mutual exchange at the university where I will work, in my research for my supplementary project, and throughout my daily life in Brazil,” Grasso said.
Fish, a spring 2021 graduate with a degree in East Asian studies, will teach English in South Korea.
Kubas, a fall 2022 graduate with a degree in modern languages with a Russian language and literature concentration with a minor in psychology, will teach English in Kazakhstan.
Martinez, a senior with a degree in political science with a pre-law concentration, will teach English in Germany.
Students interested in learning more about the Fulbright program should contact the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office at ncs@ung.edu for more information.
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