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UGA honored as top producer of Fulbright students

  • Stephanie Schupska

    • Christopher Rosselot is currently working in Quito, Ecuador, at the Universidad Central de Ecuador as an English teaching assistant. (Submitted photo)

    The University of Georgia’s 11 Fulbright student offers for the 2023-2024 academic year have landed it among the top producing institutions for Fulbright U.S. students. This is the second year in a row—and the sixth time in 12 years—that UGA has been named a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students.

    Eleven UGA students and recent alumni were offered Fulbright awards for 2023-2024, with eight able to accept. Five are teaching English in countries including Spain, the Slovak Republic, Taiwan and Ecuador. Three are studying or conducting research; their countries are India, Ireland and Taiwan.

    “Earning recognition as a top producer of Fulbright students reflects the importance that our students place on making a difference around the world and in our local community,” said Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College, which houses UGA’s major scholarships office. “The Fulbright awards point to our students’ exceptional talent, the strong mentorship of our faculty and UGA’s longstanding commitment to international education. I am extremely proud of the global impact of these students.”

    The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in more than 160 countries to recent college graduates and graduate students. As the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and countries worldwide.

    Christopher Rosselot is pictured on Ilalo, a mountain outside of Quito, Ecuador, that he visits often. (Submitted photo)

    Among UGA’s recipients, Christopher Rosselot is currently in Quito, Ecuador, at the Universidad Central de Ecuador as an English teaching assistant. Rosselot, an Honors alumnus and Foundation Fellow from Decatur, earned bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Latin American and Caribbean studies in 2023.

    “I am most excited to learn from and with these students about what value Ecuadoreans perceive the English language to have, what excites future teachers and what makes them nervous, how U.S. politics and government are discussed and perceived, and how the answers to these questions vary in a country that is physically small but geographically and culturally diverse,” he said.

    Claire Holman (Submitted photo)

    Claire Holman is currently in Logroño, Spain, as an English teaching assistant. Holman, who is from Canton, graduated from UGA in 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in theatre, linguistics and Spanish; a minor in TESOL; and a certificate in global education and leadership.

    “One of the highlights of my time at UGA was getting involved locally and working with ESL and Spanish immersion students,” Holman said. “I’ve loved getting to get to know the community and exploring how my theatre background can benefit young language learners. In Spain, I’m most excited for the opportunity to join a new community and use my expertise to transform my students. I’m so grateful to Fulbright for this opportunity.”

    Sydney Leiter (Submitted photo)

    Double Dawg and Honors alumna Sydney Leiter is currently in Levice, Slovakia, at a gymnázium secondary school that prepares students for further studies at the university level. Leiter, who is from Davie, Florida, earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and public relations with a minor in women’s studies in 2022 and a master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership in 2023.

    “I am excited to engage in cross-cultural communication that will help prepare me to work with diverse populations in the nonprofit sector, as well as teaching my students about the U.S.—all while soaking in the culture, history and environment of the Slovak Republic,” she said.

    Maeve Breathnach is currently pursuing a master’s degree in refugee integration at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland. An Honors alumna, Foundation Fellow and First Honor Graduate from Roswell, she graduated in 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and economics and minors in Spanish and social work. She is studying Dublin City University’s model as a participating University of Sanctuary in order to focus on how such institutions can be better accessible to migrants of all documentation statuses.

    Maeve Breathnach

    The Morehead Honors College offers assistance to all UGA students and recent graduates interested in participating in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

    The seven UGA alumni who received Fulbright offers for 2023-2024 as English teaching assistants are listed below by name, major and country.

    Five UGA students and recent alumni received Fulbright offers for 2023-2024 for research or study. They are listed below by name, major and country.

    Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields from the U.S. and over 160 other countries have participated in the Fulbright Program. More information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is available at https://us.fulbrightonline.org/.

    For more information about UGA’s work in helping students apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, contact Maria de Rocher, campus Fulbright U.S. Student Program adviser and assistant dean and director of programming for the Morehead Honors College, at derocher@uga.edu.

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