By Hannah Shirey ’23, assistant editor
Four LVC students who applied for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program were selected as semi-finalists.
The Fulbright program provides grants to individuals for study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Recipients of the Fulbright grants travel to their host country to meet, work and live among the people of that country.
Robert Moul, a neuroscience and chemistry double major, applied for a research grant in Budapest, Hungary. If awarded this grant, he will conduct full time research with the chemical biology research group at the Research Centre for Natural Sciences in Budapest.
As part of the application process, Moul had to design a project and write numerous short essays describing why he is an ideal applicant.
“I knew my application was strong, but I also knew I would be competing with individuals from across the entire north-east region,” Moul said. “I also was unsure how the pandemic would change the number of applicants and ultimately, semi-finalists.”
The three other LVC students selected as semi-finalists applied for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Julia Resele, a early childhood education and special education double major, and Liam Schmidt, a English and Spanish double major, both applied for English Teaching Assistant positions in Spain. Lexi Kerstetter, a biology and psychology double major, applied for an English Teaching Assistant position in Taiwan. Kerstetter graduated in December 2021.
Recipients of the English Teaching Assistant Programs travel to a foreign country to teach students English. Depending on the recipients’ qualifications and the needs of the host country, recipients may teach students ranging from early childhood to university level.
“It feels good to be a semi-finalist,” Schmidt said. “You put a lot of work into your grant proposal, so it feels good to know you’re one step closer to an acceptance letter.”
Applying for a Fulbright program is no easy task. Over the summer, LVC students applying for the program work closely with Dr. Philip Benesch, associate professor of politics, to review the different application components.
“I had prepared myself that either the letter would give me a definitive answer that the process had come to an end, or patience and excitement while the rest of the journey unfolds,” Resele said.
Semi-finalists may be asked to complete a virtual interview before learning if they were accepted into the program. Decisions regarding final awards will be released sometime between March and June.
All four of LVC’s semi-finalists are extremely thankful for the opportunity to apply for a Fulbright program and be selected as a semi-finalist. They are especially grateful for the help from Dr. Benesch and other LVC faculty.