Five Receive Fulbright
Five Baylor University students have been selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, bringing the number of Baylor students who have received the honor since 2001 to 19.
The flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year. The program also includes an important English Teaching Assistant component. Nationwide, approximately 1,500 U.S. students will be selected from more than 6,700 applications.
The Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The program has provided thousands of students--chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential--with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
"The Fulbright awards will enable these wonderful students to receive outstanding international experience, while representing America through their teaching, research and service within the host countries. These students had compelling projects, fine language skills and strong recommendation letters," said Elizabeth Vardaman, BA '65, MA '80, Baylor's Fulbright representative and associate dean of special academic projects in the College of Arts and Sciences.
A record 20 Baylor students submitted applications for the program this year, thanks in part to the increased emphasis on global education since the launch of Baylor 2012.
The Baylor recipients are:
Ashley Killough, a senior international studies/journalism major from Plano, Texas, and a member of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC), who will conduct research in Armenia at the Caucasus Media Institute in the capital city of Yerevan
Charlie Manzanares, a post-baccalaureate student from Woodway, Texas, and a 2008 Baylor graduate with a dual JD/MBA degree, who will conduct economic research in Spain on the institutions of business formation of Spain, Venezuela and the United States
Alex Nix, a senior Spanish major from Riesel, Texas, formerly of Waco, who will assist with teaching English in Brazil, while developing the study of American poetry as a way of encountering and understanding American culture
Aaron M. Reynolds, a senior French major from Grapevine, Texas, and a member of Baylor's Honors Program, who will serve as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in France
Megan Rizos, a senior University Scholar from Lucas, Texas, and a member of Baylor's Honors Program, who will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Spain