Seven University of Richmond Recent Grads Awarded Fulbright Grants To Live, Work, and Study Around the World
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Seven University of Richmond recent graduates have been awarded prestigious Fulbright grants to be completed during the 2022–23 academic year.
The recipients include Cutty Ashley, Isabelle Drayer, Meher Kaur, Alex Pistolesi, Anna Tartline, Sarah Wagner, and Megan Wing. Six students received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant, and one received a public health research grant.
The Fulbright Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. government, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through educational exchange.
The University of Richmond has had 75 student Fulbright grant recipients and was included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Students in 2021-22 for the fourth year in a row.
"The Fulbright is a wonderful fit for Richmond students who are deeply interested in cultural exchange,” said Dana Kuchem, director of the Office of Scholars and Fellowships. “Fulbright student scholars engage in international study that fuels their academic, professional, and personal development.”
UR’s 2022 Fulbright student scholars include:
Cutty Ashley, a 2022 graduate from New Orleans will teach English in Morocco through a Fulbright ETA grant. Ashley double majored in global studies and Arabic studies and minored in history. While at UR, Ashley researched the politics and cultures of the Arab world and received two Critical Language Scholarships.
“The Fulbright Scholarship will give me the opportunity to live in a Moroccan community for a year, allowing me to learn about Moroccan culture and society through teaching university students in the classroom and interacting with locals,” Ashley said.
Isabelle Drayer, a 2022 graduate from Chattanooga, Tennessee, will be teaching in a plurilingual secondary school in Galicia, Spain, through a Fulbright ETA. Drayer double majored in political science and Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies and minored in entrepreneurship. While at UR, Drayer traveled to Spain with the Chaplaincy pilgrimage program and interned for a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly with a focus on language access bills.
“Being named a Fulbright scholar is a testament to the quality of mentorship and the education that I’ve had at the University of Richmond over the past four years, and I look forward to my year in Spain as a time to grow both personally and professionally and better myself as a global citizen,” Drayer said.
Meher Kaur, a 2021 graduate from Germantown, Maryland, received a Fulbright grant for public health research. Kaur, who is double majoring in economics and global studies, will be based in Mumbai, India, and will be researching migrant women and their access to maternal and reproductive health care services through an affiliation with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. During the spring of 2022, Kaur worked as a field researcher focusing on drug abuse among youth at J-PAL South Asia in Chandigarh, Punjab.
“It was my dream to live and work in India as a field researcher, and I am excited to take everything I have learned during my time working with J-PAL and apply it to a research study of my own as a Fulbrighter,” Kaur said.
Alex Pistolesi, a 2022 graduate from Bronx, New York, received a Fulbright ETA, which he will complete through the Comunidad de Madrid in Spain. Pistolesi double majored in Italian and global studies with a concentration in politics and governance and minored in geography. Pistolesi, who speaks Italian and Spanish, completed a summer fellowship research opportunity on international development grants and studied abroad in Copenhagen while at UR.
“This award allows me to engage in meaningful cross-cultural exchange, hopefully leaving an impact on students while also serving as a great opportunity for me to experience personal growth,” Pistolesi said.
Anna Tartline, a 2022 graduate from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will teach English to students in Mexico through a Fulbright ETA. Tartline majored in sociology and minored in Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies. While at UR, Tartline mentored middle school students through the organization Higher Achievement and interned at the Latino Hispanic American Community Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Tartline speaks Spanish and Portuguese and studied abroad in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, and England.
“I truly value education through centering the perspectives of others, so I believe that the Fulbright experience is the best way to authentically learn from others in an intentional space,” Tartline said.
Sarah Wagner, a 2022 graduate from West Chester, Pennsylvania, will teach English to students in Rheinland Pfalz, Germany, through a Fulbright ETA. Wagner double majored in global studies and German and minored in anthropology and history. While at UR, Wagner’s academic research focused on public education in Germany and the 2015 refugee crisis in France and Germany.
“A large part of my time at Richmond centered around learning German, and this award will teach me more about connecting with individuals across cultures and at an interpersonal level through langue and education,” Wagner said.
Megan Wing, a 2017 graduate from Midlothian, Virginia, will complete a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Mexico. Wing majored in environmental studies and minored in geography and Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies. Wing, who is conversational in Spanish, studied abroad in Peru and was accepted into Teach for America while at Richmond.
"I have spent five years in classroom spaces in Oklahoma and Washington, and those experiences affirmed that my ability to communicate with families and students in Spanish sets me apart as an educator who can connect learning at home with learning at school,” said Wing. “The Fulbright will allow me to better understand how educators in the U.S. can meet the needs of immigrant families and students."
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