Georgia College & State University students and alumni continue experiencing success applying for one of the United States’ premiere cultural exchange programs.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named four Georgia College students and recent alumni as semi-finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

"I am so proud of all of our Fulbright semi-finalists, and I'm especially excited to have several alumni represented,” said Anna Whiteside, assistant director of the John E. Sallstrom Honors College and national scholarships coordinator.   

Operating in over 160 countries worldwide, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Recent graduate, and Fulbright semi-finalist, Julian Lopez, ’20, applied for the scholarship program because of its focus on ambassadorship and intercultural connection. Lopez is a strategist with the global consulting firm BCG BrightHouse. He believes the Fulbright program—with its meaningful engagement with people from other cultures—will help him develop a skillset for working with people around the world.

“Intercultural understanding and collaboration are paramount in the business consulting profession, especially when working with global clients,” he said.

 Another benefit of the Fulbright experience, Lopez added, is the opportunity for America’s brightest scholars to represent our nation’s positive virtues abroad.

“There are so many stereotypes and misconceptions about Americans in Europe—I experienced it while over there in 2019,” he said. “I want to bring clarity to what is accurate and what isn't.”

Georgia College graduate creative writing student Kelsie Doran is a world-traveling poet who enjoys teaching the gift of language. Helping Norwegian students in her potential host country learn English, she said, is something that would benefit them beyond her Fulbright experience. 

In the spirit of cultural exchange that is at the core of the Fulbright program, Doran hopes to bring back tools and concepts from the Norwegian education system to use upon her return.

"I hope to learn from the students, and that we can grow from one another,” she said. “I hope to gain insight, to embrace Norway fully and to explore what it means to teach.”

Doran and Lopez applied for the Fulbright to advance their personal and professional trajectories beyond their classroom experiences at Georgia College. Both said Whiteside assisted them with their applications in a way that made the process efficient and an opportunity for growth.

“Just do it; there's really nothing to lose,” Lopez said. “If you get the scholarship, you're looking at the opportunity of a lifetime. If you don't, the application experience will only make you into a stronger, more experienced, more articulate applicant for opportunities down the line.”

The scholarships office is available to work with students—undergraduate, graduate and alumni—to develop their Fulbright application, Whiteside said. Visit the National Scholarships Office website to learn more about the Fulbright, and other national scholarships.

“Many people don't know this, but you can apply for Fulbright Scholarships as an alum,” Whiteside said.  “And, as a Georgia College alum, you are welcome to come and work with me on your application."