Centre College's 2023 Fulbright scholars

“I know a lot of people (study Chinese) for business or politics — that’s not really my route,” she said. “The reason why I got into Chinese was to get people connected with others. I think that's my goal: bridge those gaps and help make connections with people.”

“My favorite thing about language learning is just transforming who you are — when I speak Chinese, I'm a different person,” she said. “Even though it's a language I know less than English, I can be more myself, because, when I'm speaking, I'm raw — I can't really lie or flower things up. I am who I am. I feel more confident when I speak Chinese, because it feels more natural when you don't have to try to be eloquent all the time. That's my favorite thing about it — discovering what I can be.”

“I studied abroad in Mexico with the Marista program and was an exchange student at Marista University during my junior year. It was a really great time for me … I’m excited to go back. Study abroad is one of my favorite things about Centre — there's only so much you can learn in a classroom.”

“(Associate Professor of Spanish) Satty Flaherty-Echeverria prepared me the most with the challenge and rigor in class. The one thing that has stayed firm throughout my Spanish learning experience is listening with the intent to understand. That's something I want to take into Fulbright and in my classes.”

“I was interested in the Fulbright program, because I saw it as an opportunity to use the skills that I have developed through academics and service work while also expanding my horizons and pushing myself to be a better global citizen. I decided to apply for Fulbright in Spain, because I knew that I wanted to incorporate the Spanish that I have learned in my minor into my Fulbright experience. Among other Spanish-speaking countries, I chose Spain specifically, because I have primarily been exposed to Latin American contexts in my classes and volunteer work. Spain offers a new context to learn about the diversity of culture and language.”

“Centre prepared me greatly for the Fulbright program. I was lucky enough to study abroad three times over my four years: I spent CentreTerm 2022 in Mérida, México doing an internship for academic credit with an environmental nonprofit organization and living in a home-stay; I participated in the Strasbourg, France semester study away program in Spring 2022; and I traveled to Thailand in CentreTerm 2023 to learn about sustainable development.

“All of these experiences prepared me to live abroad and helped me develop a greater appreciation for adventure. Additionally, the community at Centre was essential to my preparation for Fulbright. My professors and peers have provided such incredible support and encouragement; they have taught me what it looks like to truly care for one's community and encourage character growth in everything I do.”

“I have been interested in the Fulbright program for as long as I can remember, probably since my early high school years. I was fortunate enough to grow up around babysitters, teachers and friends who had either heard of or participated in awesome programs, such as Fulbright, and encouraged me to do the same. When I was younger, living abroad in France was one of my biggest dreams, and I always thought that going abroad for a year after college to teach English would be a stop along the way to my degree, which at the time I presumed would be medical school or law school. However, after spending an immersion semester in Nantes during my junior year of college, I knew that being in France for a semester was not long enough for me, and I started envisioning a career in international and language education.”

“For me, it was always France, as I am a bit of a Francophile! From traveling to France for the first time in high school to spending a semester there in college, to applying for a Fulbright, I have always been laser-focused on finding a way to get myself to France. Dr. Schalkoff encouraged me to consider applying to other French-speaking countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, Côte d'Ivoire, etc., due to the competitive nature of the France grant. After taking approximately one day to think about it, I decided I was either going for the one I truly wanted, or I wouldn't go for it at all.

“I didn't think that I would be able to convey to the deciding committee my dedication to education and French language learning if I wasn't talking about a place where I truly wanted to be, and whose culture I have truly grown to appreciate and adopt into my life as my knowledge on the French region has expanded through my education.  Aside from my adoration for the program, I am really interested in conducting research in matters of race and identity politics, and what better way to learn more about this than in the most diverse city in France?”

“I’m really excited for the opportunity and journey: It’s three weeks studying abroad at Queen’s University. I’ve always had a passion to travel, but I’ve never been abroad. It seemed like a really good opportunity for me as a first-year student to get out and see what it’s like.”

“I’m also in the Brown Fellows program and will travel with the program to France later in the summer. Centre places a big emphasis on the international aspect of education and understanding new ideas, new cultures, new beliefs and just getting out there and exploring.”