Baylor continues Fulbright tradition

Four recent Baylor graduates and one current student have been selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship--the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, bringing the total number of Baylor students and alumni who have received Fulbright awards to 46 since 2001. This year’s recipients are:

Bailey Green, BA '15, double majored in international studies and Russian. She received the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and is teaching English in Russia.

"I decided to apply for the Fulbright because I wanted to go back to Russia and work on my Russian language," Green said. "I was a Russian major, but I knew after my summer of study there that I needed more practice. I loved the people that I met in Russia, and I want to learn more about Russian culture. After the Fulbright program, I hope to attend law school in D.C. and earn a degree in international law."

Jake Surges, BA '15, graduated in May as a University Scholar and Crane Scholar. At Baylor he was part of the American Medical Student Association, Baylor Religious Choir Hour and China Aid Association. He also received the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and is teaching English in Taiwan.

"I've been interested in Asia for a number of years now, China in particular," he said. "I simply find East Asian culture intriguing." Surges studied biology and Christian theology as a University Scholar; after teaching, he is considering either staying in China or attending law school.

Rebecca McHenney, BS '15, is teaching English in Mexico this year, also thanks to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. She has a passion for teaching that stems from her experiences tutoring children in a rough Chicago neighborhood during high school.

"I wanted to help give kids the same opportunities that I had growing up, and before I knew it, a dream of becoming a math teacher in Chicago had lodged itself in my heart," she said. "When I found out that Fulbright not only offered a grant to live abroad for a year, but that there was a specific grant related to teaching, I knew I had to apply."

Syd Lewis Linnell, BA '15, a University Scholar with a concentration in neuroscience, received the Fulbright award in neuroscience and is earning her master's in neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

"I came [to Baylor] for the people. I have formed priceless relationships with faculty and friends while at Baylor; no other place could have offered the same quality and richness of a community," she said. "My major had the most fantastic set of faculty. They really made my experience at Baylor, and I will always feel an immense sense of gratitude toward them."

After earning her master's, she plans to pursue either a PhD in neuropsychology or a law degree.

Tim Campbell, a Baylor senior studying philosophy, political science and religion, received a different but equally competitive award: the Fulbright U.S.-U.K. Scotland Summer Institute award.

"I was looking for an international experience, and this program seemed like the perfect fit," he said. "I wanted a program that would help make me a competitive applicant for future graduate school scholarships and fellowships, [and] I was looking for an opportunity to study in a group alongside talented and motivated students. The Fulbright-Scotland Summer Institute satisfied all of these conditions, and I’m very glad I decided to apply."

Campbell is completing the Honors program and serves on the editorial board of The Pulse, Baylor's undergraduate academic journal. He plans to attend graduate or law school after graduation.