Enrique Romero ’16
Claremont, Calif. (September 15, 2017)—Pitzer College alumnus Enrique Romero ’16, who taught English in Mexico as a 2016-17 Fulbright Fellow, is continuing his efforts to promote international understanding as a program officer for the Fulbright Commission in Mexico City.
In his new role with the United States-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS), Romero works with Mexican Fulbright grantees who plan to pursue graduate studies in the US. He manages and supports the selection, placement, budgeting and monitoring of the Fulbright grantees at COMEXUS, which administers the Fulbright-García Robles Fellowship for students, scholars and teachers from Mexico and the US.
Last year, as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), Romero helped students at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México with their English speaking skills. He also volunteered at EducationUSA, a US Department of State network that promotes US higher education to students from around the world.
Romero said he is drawing on his experience both as a Fulbright fellow and as a student at Pitzer in his new position as a program officer.
“As a Fulbright ETA, I served as a cultural ambassador in an attempt to promote understanding between Mexico and the US through educational exchange,” Romero said. “My time at Pitzer made me realize the importance of intercultural understanding, a core value at the College and a motto that I believe is vital as a Fulbright recipient.”
“I applied for the Fulbright program officer position in order to continue building bridges during a time of heavy division between both countries,” he said.
Romero, who graduated in 2016 from Pitzer with honors in both Spanish and sociology, studied abroad on Pitzer’s Summer Health Program in Costa Rica and the Pitzer in Italy program. On campus, he participated in many aspects of college life. As a research assistant for Associate Professor of Sociology Roberta Espinoza, he analyzed and illuminated issues related to underrepresented students in higher education. He interviewed prospective Pitzer students as a fellow with the College’s Office of Admission, where he also served as a diversity intern. He tutored Spanish learners, volunteered with Jumpstart and was a member of the Latinx Student Union.
In 2016, Romero was one of 15 Pitzer students and alumni who won Fulbright US Student Program fellowships. Pitzer has been a top producer of US Fulbright student fellows among undergraduate colleges for nearly a decade.
The United States-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS) is a bi-national organization created in 1990 by an agreement signed between the governments of Mexico and the US. It supports postgraduate studies, research stays, teaching and professional programs in the US and Mexico. COMEXUS has awarded more than 3,500 Mexicans and Americans with Fulbright-García Robles scholarships, fostering educational and cultural exchange experience between Mexico and the US.
