For the sixteenth consecutive year, 瓜子TV is one of the country鈥檚 top producers of student Fulbright Awards, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education鈥檚 annual Fulbright rankings.
Four Occidental seniors and two alumni won 2020-21 Fulbrights to work and study in six countries on three continents. The six are among 122 Occidental students and alumni who have won Fulbrights since 2003.
Almost 600 U.S. higher-education institutions actively participate in the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Fulbright program, which covers travel, education and living expenses in more than 155 countries worldwide.
Preliminary numbers for this year are promising, with 22 students and alumni being named as semi-finalists, up from 16 last year, says Jennifer Locke, director of national and international fellowships.
Selection is a two-phase process. All applicants must pass through the U.S.-based Fulbright National Screening Committee. Those selected as semi-finalists are then forwarded to the individual country commissions for the final round of selections. Final decisions are made on a country-by-country basis from March to May.
Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.
Occidental鈥檚 2021-22 student Fulbright semi-finalists are:
- Maryam Ali 鈥21, a politics major from Minneapolis鈥攖eaching, Malaysia
- Sofie Brown 鈥21, a Spanish studies major from Davis鈥攖eaching, Uruguay
- Will Canavan 鈥21, a diplomacy and world affairs major from Los Angeles鈥攔esearch, Argentina
- Darla Chavez Chavez 鈥21, a diplomacy and world affairs major from Los Angeles鈥攖eaching, Peru
- John Chen '20, a diplomacy and world affairs major from Wailuku, Hawai鈥檌鈥攖eaching, Vietnam
- Mia Forsline 鈥21, a biology major from Torrance鈥攔esearch, Ecuador
- Zachary Goodwin 鈥21, a diplomacy and world affairs major from Pacific Grove鈥攔esearch, Serbia
- Miranda Gruber 鈥21, an American studies major from Waukee, Iowa鈥攖eaching, Paraguay
- Lilianna Henkel '20, a sociology major from Cotati鈥攖eaching, Spain
- Stella Hong 鈥21, a diplomacy and world studies from Cypress鈥攕tudy grant, South Korea
- Habiba Hobson '20, art and art history and Spanish studies double major from Pittsburgh, Penn.鈥攖eaching, Colombia
- Darla Howell '20, group language major from Los Angeles鈥攖eaching, Taiwan
- Tala Ismail '20, media arts and culture major from Pasadena鈥攔esearch, Germany
- Micah Kirscher '20, diplomacy and world affairs major from Bainbridge Island, Wash.鈥攖eaching, Mexico
- Alexander Klas '20, history and comparative studies in literature and culture double major from Portland, Ore.鈥攔esearch, Italy
- Ian Lehine '19, a comparative studies in literature and culture and diplomacy and world affairs double major from Glendora鈥攕tudy grant, Ukraine
- Ebram Naftzger '20, comparative studies in literature and culture major from Redlands鈥攖eaching, Germany
- Samantha Peck-Sanders 鈥20, comparative studies in literature and culture major from Brooklyn, N.Y.鈥攖eaching, Germany
- Evelyn Pope 鈥21, politics major from Simsbury, Conn.鈥攖eaching, Colombia
- Megan Purdome 鈥21, sociology major from Chicago鈥攖eaching, Thailand
- Thomas Robertson '20, diplomacy and world affairs and group language major from Newport Beach鈥攔esearch, Mauritius
- Chloe Wheeler '19, a comparative studies in literature and culture and Spanish studies double major from Long Beach鈥攔esearch, Spain
