2021-22 Fulbright Fellows

The Fulbright US Student Program, the largest international exchange program in the US, provides grants for students and young professionals to pursue individually designed study/research projects or participate in English Teaching Assistant Programs. 

Sophie Basseches ’20, a sociology major and gender and feminist studies minor, has been awarded a 2021-22 Fulbright to teach English in Spain, assigned to the Canary Islands. She plans to use her past teaching experience in both Ecuador and the US in order to impart her passion for cross-cultural communication. Sophie’s pedagogy will include interactive, flexible, and creative teaching strategies that involve lively participation and structure in an open and non-judgmental classroom atmosphere. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in social welfare, with the goal of becoming an elementary school counselor in Spanish-speaking communities.

Lily Borak ’21a human biology major and English and world literature minor, is the recipient of a Fulbright to conduct research in Nepal on the use of interactive theater formats, such as playback theater and forum theater, as tools for healing. She will focus of how interactive theater has helped heal communities from specific traumatic events, such as the 2015 earthquake, as well as from ongoing social issues, such as gender discrimination. In addition, Lily will engage with Nepal’s spoken-word poetry community. Upon returning to the US, she hopes to pursue an MA in drama therapy and become an accredited drama therapist.

Gabriela Carrera ’21Gabriela Carrera ’21, a media and critical race studies major, has received a Fulbright to conduct research in the Dominican Republic, utilizing the perspective of sex workers in order to identify how cis- and trans-women working in the informal economies, whose income has been contingent upon their ability to provide services that traditionally require physical contact, are strengthening avenues for worker solidarity amidst the pandemic and counteracting the stratification exacerbated by transnational tourism and economies of desire. Gabriela’s future plans include pursuing a master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies with a joint concentration in Africana studies.

Priscilla Cobian ’16, a sociology/Spanish major and Chicanx-Latinx studies minor, was awarded a 2020-21 Fulbright to Mexico to teach English. She was unable to carry out her plans due to the pandemic; she re-applied and received an offer to undertake her Fulbright for the 2021-22 year.

Esme Kline ’19, an organismal biology major, received a 2020-21 Fulbright last year to do research in Panama where she will be investigating historic drivers of coral reef decline in Bocas del Toro. She reapplied and plans to undertake a 2021-22 Fulbright instead. Esme’s research will involve three phases: physical collection of coral cores; extraction of skeletal material for geochemical analyses and development of growth chronologies and analyses of results. To complement her research and for community engagement, she plans to work with the mentorship program “Mujeres del Océano,” or Women of the Ocean, which aims to deepen local girls’ connection with the ocean through activities such as surfing, snorkeling and beach cleanups. Esme plans to pursue a PhD in marine ecosystems and society. 

Veronica Martinez ’21an organizational studies and Spanish double major, is the recipient of a Fulbright to teach English in Spain at the La Communidad de Madrid. Her experience in teaching English in Vietnam, Spain, and the US will enable her to demonstrate how the power of bilingualism can increase social and cultural knowledge in a community amid a globalizing world. As an applicant from a border town, Veronica will incorporate her experiences as a first-generation Mexican American to explain the multicultural sectors in the US. Upon her return to the US, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in education policy.

Jessica Miao ’21a biology major, has been awarded a Fulbright to teach English in Germany, where she will use her position as an ETA to bring discussions and language around the topic of race in Germany and the US to students. During a previous time in Germany, she found it frustrating to see that, to many, a non-white person was automatically considered an outsider while, simultaneously, white people were accepted as belonging. As an ETA in Germany, Jessica wants to both learn from and share with students. She aims to assist her co-teacher in constructing communities of inclusivity and understanding, believing a classroom is the perfect place to start. Upon completion of her Fulbright year, Jessica plans to work for a year and ultimately attend medical school.