Occidental Leads in Fulbright Recipients

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Author: Kelly Neukom

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Fulbright rankings, Occidental is again a top producer of Fulbright award winners for the 2007-2008 school year. With four Fulbright winners this past spring (more than either Colgate or Georgetown), Occidental ranks as one of the top 30 liberal arts colleges in the nation.

This is based on information released by the Institute of Internal Education, which administers the Fulbright program for students in the U.S. In the past five years, Oxy students have won 20 Fulbrights.

The data also shows that per capita, Oxy has more Fulbright winners than universities like UC Berkeley, UCLA and NYU.

“I think Oxy has so many Fulbright winners because Oxy students are well-rounded and unique,” one Fulbright winner Sarah Kim ’07 said. “Oxy students not only have diverse backgrounds, but diverse interests as well. Cultural experiences and enthusiasm are greatly encouraged on campus and these are essential criteria in applying for the program. Even though Oxy is a very small community compared to other universities and colleges, you have access to so many resources.”

Adrian Cavallini-Gardner, Amanda Iseri and Kim (all ’07) are winners of Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships, and they are teaching English in Germany, Indonesia and Hong Kong, respectively. Sam Mowe ’07 received a Fulbright research grant to study the construction of a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal.

“Another reason Oxy has many recipients—the most important reason in my experience—is the support that the Oxy family gives,” Kim said. “Both the faculty and my peers gave me endless support throughout the whole process. I wouldn’t doubt that the Oxy Fulbright Admissions committee is the best there is. They’ve gone through every line of my application and essays with me countless times. They waited when I waited, held their breaths when I held mine, and celebrated when I did.”

“Oxy has an all-encompassing campus attitude that people can do or be anything without limitations,” Iseri said. “I think that the supportive atmosphere created by the staff, administration and other students is great and without a doubt is a big reason why many students apply for scholarships and are able to succeed in receiving them.”

The Fulbright program was created in 1946 by the U.S. Congress. According to the program’s website, it “aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills.” More than 1,000 American students a year in more than 100 fields of study are given grants to study, teach English and conduct research in more than 120 countries, according to the Occidental website. The federal government has given $181 million in support for Fulbright grants this year.

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