Written by Bradley Bommarito
On Saturday, April 17, RC’s Office of Alumni and Family Relations hosted an interactive panel about RC student experiences with the Fulbright Program. Titled “NOKELive: An Insider’s Look at the Fulbright Program,” this live event hosted via YouTube allowed several alumni who have been involved in the Program an opportunity to reflect on this internationally renowned honor and to share tips with students who are aspiring to earn Fulbright Awards during their time at the college.
Tessa Sydnor ’16, Kathleen Ouyang ’13, Brandon Mayer ’15, and Brieanah Gouveia ’17 were panelists. The panel lasted from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. According to the event website, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Approximately 380,000 American students have participated in the program since its beginning in 1946. The program operates in 140 nations throughout the world, and approximately 1,900 U.S. students enjoy this honor each year.
According to Professor Jenny Rosti, RC’s Director of Major Scholarships and Fellowships, Roanoke College has consistently produced one or more Fulbright Scholars since 2013. The Fulbright Program recognized Roanoke College as a Top Producer in the 2017-2018 academic year. According to a February press release from the College, 19 Maroons have been named as Fulbright scholars and 13 have earned Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships in the past several years. Nine students have been awarded chances to participate in the selective Fulbright US-UK Summer Institute, and nine students have earned Freeman Asia scholarships as well.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, please visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright or email Rosti at rosti@roaoke.edu.
