The Office of Fellowships has announced this year’s Principal Fellowships and Scholarships, including a record eight Fulbright Scholars, all of whom are students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations to all of the SU students. Meet the College of Arts and Sciences’ scholars:

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants

Laura Affolter ’19

• Fulbright ETA to Germany
• Art History, Photography

Laura will be in Hamburg, Germany teaching English with the Fulbright grant. She is earning two degrees in Art History and Photography, fields that aren’t directly related to teaching but have allowed her to work creatively in art education for the past four years, including teaching art at the Gage Academy and at the Frye Art Museum. Laura is excited to practice her teaching in a formal classroom setting as well as hone her German skills, two things which she plans on using in her career as an art historian, artist and teacher.

Shayan Chishti ‘19

• Fulbright ETA to Mexico
• International Studies, Spanish

As a graduating International Studies and Spanish student, Shayan is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be teaching English to students in Mexico through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. This fellowship will benefit her future goals as she plans to go to law school and work with immigrants. Mexicans are the largest immigrant group in the US, therefore learning about Mexican culture through experience will enhance her intercultural cooperation skills. The ETA will also familiarize her with how to be responsive to the language barriers that immigrants may face, as learning English becomes a large part of the success that they seek.

Julia Cordero ‘18

• Fulbright ETM to Mexico
• Humanities for Teaching, Spanish

Julia graduated from Seattle University in 2018. She hopes to use what she has learned at Seattle University to embrace community and collaboration in the classroom, and that her experience in Mexico will strengthen her pedagogical approach in multi-cultural learning environments. Upon returning to the United States, Julia will finish her Masters in teaching, obtain a bilingual endorsement, and work in a dual-language program.

Melissa Cuevas ‘19

• Fulbright Binational Business Internship in Mexico
• International Studies, Spanish

Melissa is graduating in 2019 with a degree in International Studies with minors in Latin American Studies, Spanish and Mandarin (Chinese). She has been awarded the Fulbright Binational Business Internship in Mexico, a program consisting of enrolling in a non-degree MBA program at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) while working full time for a Mexican company. As a future policy maker, this opportunity would allow her to develop a better understanding of Mexico’s business climate that she will use to support mutually beneficial U.S.-Mexico relations.

Nizama Djuderja ‘18

• Fulbright Research to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• The Bosnian War: Political Affiliations As a Means to Camouflage Criminality
• Criminal Justice

The tragedies that occurred during the aggression in Bosnia affected my reality before I was born, as it did to thousands of other families. I realized my work could bring forth a voice of truth on how war and collective violence garners a roadblock for improvements in a post-conflict country from every direction. My research will be analyzing how political affiliation and war can become a convenient camouflage to enable the amplification of criminal activity, forming local and regional criminal enterprises that affected the undercurrent of subterranean values in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war to present day.

Michael Lott ‘16

• Fulbright Research to Guatemala
• New Masculinities in Guatemala
• Social Work, Spanish

Since graduating with a Bachelors of Social Work and Spanish in 2016, Michael has worked as case manager for unaccompanied immigrant children in the Seattle region. He uses his vacation time to assist the SU Central America Initiative and the Universidad Rafael Landívar in research of women’s leadership and gender based violence in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Michael’s Fulbright will build on this project, further exploring the role of men in ending gender based violence through an emerging movement for New Masculinities in Guatemala. After, Michael hopes to pursue dual masters studies in Social Work and Latin American Studies at UT Austin.

Maddy Mele ‘19

• Fulbright ETA to Indonesia
• Humanities For Teaching, Philosophy

Madison has been studying humanities for teaching during her time at Seattle University, which has prepared her to teach in Indonesia. She is focused on providing an equitable education for all students and giving marginalized students a safe space to speak. She believes education is a foundation for all students in the United States, and therefore teachers have a large responsibility to support their students learning. Madison will be learning how to incorporate teachings of diversity and inclusion in Indonesia, as it has an extremely diverse population. She is excited to graduate and start her journey to become a more socially responsible human and teacher.

Jasmine Waland ‘19

• Fulbright ETA to India
• Humanities for Teaching, Sociology

I am honored to have received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Kanchipuram, India. In India, my scholars and I will write and publish a collection of poetry in the scholars’ native tongue and English. I am passionate about teaching with an intersectional social justice framework that provides youth and community the tools to celebrate differences, and acknowledge shared humanities. I am excited to travel to my homeland, to see the vibrant colorful streets, the saris, the babies running around, to listen to grandmother’s laughter and stories; but most of all, I am excited to meet the students. I cannot wait to learn from them.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Alternates

Nicolás Cruz ‘18

• Fulbright Study Alternate to Canada
• Biology, Sociology

Nicolás has been chosen as an Alternate for the US Fulbright Student Program to study Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. If awarded the Fulbright award, he will join the graduate student cohort in their investigation of the role of education towards the struggle for social justice. He spent his four years at Seattle University studying both natural and social systems that shape our everyday lives through his dual majors in Biology and Sociology. He seeks to continue to explore the interrelatedness of society and our environment through the study of land-based education led by Indigenous peoples and epistemologies.

Margaret Girardin ‘19

• Fulbright ETA Alternate to Lithuania
• History, Visual Art

The English Teaching Assistantship in Lithuania will allow me to enhance my leadership and teaching experience while actively engaging in a new community. I wish to undertake this opportunity because my mentors have pushed me to always find spaces to grow as a teacher, researcher, and advocate. My experiences as a teacher at Bailey Gatzert and a study abroad student led me to pursue an ETA in Lithuania. I want to continue to build relationships and gain language skills in order to do meaningful and feasible research in Lithuania. I realize that as an American, I can only begin to be a responsible historian if I have a connection with a place and its culture.

David L. Boren Scholarship

Arianna Dennis ‘21

• Boren to Amman, Jordan
• Language: Arabic
• International Studies, Women and Gender Studies

Arianna plans to pursue foreign service work with an emphasis in the Middle East and women’s rights issues. She wants to work with women living in Jordan to learn how they can be a bigger part of the narrative of peace conflict. With this scholarship, she will study Arabic to set up her career foundation in international affairs. Language comprehension is critical to cultural understanding. She has personal interest in pursuing this career choice as a young Muslim woman with Middle Eastern descent. Arianna looks forward to living in Jordan, a significant moderator for regional conflict, and host to millions of regional refugees.

Tristin Schultz ‘22

• Boren to Seoul, South Korea
• Language: Korean International Studies

Tristin Schultz is studying International Studies and was selected to receive a 2019 David L. Boren Scholarship to peruse intensive language training at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He is exited to explore the Korean culture and history that make up half of his identity. Furthermore, he hopes to use this experience to pursue a career in public service; his end goal is to work as a diplomat, fostering lasting economic and political stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Critical Language Scholarship

Rachel Adamek ‘21

• CLS to Busan, South Korea
• Language: Korean
• International Studies

Rachel’s drive to become an international study major started with her immense passion for other languages and cultures. When she discovered the CLS program, she couldn’t think of a more perfect opportunity to expand her knowledge of the world and become a better global citizen. She will be spending the summer in Busan, South Korea, with other students selected by the Department of State to intensely study the Korean language and culture in a completely immersive environment. This program will help her connect with people around the world and propel her further in her journey towards a career in diplomacy.

Gilman Scholarship

Faduma Osman ‘20

• Gilman to Rabat, Morocco
• Language: Arabic

I wish to broaden my cultural competency by facing challenging experiences in another country in which I will learn to navigate and communicate despite the language barriers as well as picking up resilience from the local people. I seek to understand the varying lifestyles and cultures and be more effective in helping diverse people through illness and disease. In my future as a nurse, I envision myself as a holistic nurse who treats everyone differently who takes into consideration social, physical and cultural differences to substantially advocate for each patient.

Humanity in Action Fellowship

Serena Oduro ‘19

• Philosophy and English Literature

Serena was attracted to the possibility of pairing her historical and cultural analytical skills with her marketing experience to create social campaigns to combat hate speech online. Serena hopes that her experience in Poland will deepen her ability to analyze growing hateful rhetoric and how the internet can be used to combat it.

John Jay Fellowship

Maggie Roberts ‘19

• Philosophy and English Literature

Studying moral theory led Maggie to apply for programs which considered the role of morality in public service and civic leadership. The Jon Jay Fellowship will best prepare Maggie for law school, which she will begin in the fall of 2020, with the intent to focus on the ethics of the internet.

US Department of State Internship

Colleen Cronnelly ‘20

• International Studies

Colleen’s love of the Arabic language drove her to study abroad in Rabat, Morocco last fall. Her experience there sparked an interest in the exchange of people and goods throughout the Mediterranean Sea. This fall, Colleen will assist foreign service officers and other government officials in the Office of Political Economy in the Embassy in Valletta, Malta. Her hope is to gain hands-on experience in embassy work to prepare for a future career in the foreign service. Colleen is grateful for the opportunity to experience a new culture, meet new people, and live abroad again!

Project Drawdown Research Experience

Allie Saunders ‘20

• Business Economics, Environmental Studies

This summer, Allie will be conducting research at Pennsylvania State University. Allie will use her economic and environmental studies expertise to conduct an economic feasibility analysis for the scalability of methane digester technology in the state of Pennsylvania. This exciting opportunity connects her passion for environmental justice with economic modeling, a growing field where she sees her future career.

Learn more about the Office of Fellowships and the different fellowships and scholarships here.