Seven University of North Georgia students and alumni have been named Fulbright scholars for 2023-24, bringing the university’s total of Fulbright scholars to 46, since 2015.
Fulbright, a prestigious and highly competitive fellowship, enables recent graduates and graduate students to pursue research, earn a graduate degree or teach English overseas.
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 University said.
"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.
Grace Murer, a spring 2022 biology graduate, is UNG’s first recipient of a Fulbright research award after she earned the Fiji Research Award grant from the fellowship.
"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.”
Karen Garcia, a 2022 graduate, will be teaching English in South Korea through the fellowship.
A Clarkesville resident, Garcia 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.
UNG senior Madeline Grasso, a Cumming resident, is pursuing a degree in modern languages with an Arabic language and literature concentration and a minor in political science.
Before beginning her Fulbright in Brazil, she will serve in Thailand as an English teaching assistant in a K-12 school as part of Teach Thailand Corps.
"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 embark on her Brazil Fulbright in 2024. According to the university, while in Brazil, Grasso 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.
Ashley Fish, a spring 2021 graduate with a degree in East Asian studies, will teach English in South Korea.
Anna 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.
Norma Martinez, a spring 2023 graduate with a degree in political science with a pre-law concentration will teach English in Germany.
