OHIO students, alumni to participate in cultural exchange after being selected for prestigious Fulbright and Critical Language Scholarships

Eight Ohio University students and alumni have been selected for prestigious awards and fellowships through the Critical Language Scholarship and Fulbright programs that will allow them to promote international, educational and cultural exchange in countries across the world. Both programs are administered through the U.S. State Department and are designed to support students, alumni and educators with their ambassadorial, citizen diplomacy, researching, and teaching goals.

Four Ohio University students were selected for the Critical Language Scholarship and four for various fellowships associated with Fulbright. Four additional students and alumni were also named alternates for these programs.

“We are immensely proud that numerous students and alumni will have the opportunity to represent OHIO and participate in meaningful experiences and cross-cultural exchange across the globe as part of these prestigious programs," stated Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs.

Ohio University’s 2024 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) recipients include Owen McClain, Amy Strieter, Lily Waskiewicz, and Stan Yerrick. CLS is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world. Students will spend eight to 10 weeks learning one of 14 languages at an intensive study abroad institute. Catelyn Cox, Hewan Esayas, and Lucy Ogle have been named alternates for this program.

Jennifer Ayarkwa has received a grant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, one of the most competitive academic exchange programs globally. The program fully funds U.S. graduating seniors, alumni and graduate students as they conduct research, develop creative projects, and/or teach English abroad, all while dedicating part of their time to building greater understanding between the United States and host countries. There are over 140 countries students and alumni can study in with most programs lasting for nine to 12 months. Haley Janoski has been named an alternate for this program.

Kana Wisniewski has received the Fulbright Taiwan English Teaching Flagship Fellowship and Alexis Karolin has received the Fulbright Taiwan English Teacher Training Award. Both programs are designed to support cultural exchange and learning between the US and Taiwan.

Luca Gee has received a grant through the Fulbright U.K. Summer Institutes program, which supports freshman and sophomores as they study abroad and explore cross-cultural ambassadorship in the U.K.

"In applying for international awards through programs like CLS and Fulbright, our students and alumni clarify what effective cross-cultural exchange and ambassadorship entail within their own specific fields of study,” Christopher Lewis, director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, said. “Our recipients this year come from a wide range of majors, including art history, biology, English, global studies, history, political science, and Spanish. They make us proud as they travel across the globe to study, research, and teach while representing the U.S., their home communities, and Ohio University."

Any Bobcat interested in learning more about the various Fulbright programs can contact Christopher Lewis at christopherlewis@ohio.edu.

Recently, four OHIO students were also awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship.

Read more about all the CLS and Fulbright recipients below:

Critical Language Scholarship:

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Owen McClain is a junior majoring in Global Studies: War and Peace. He will study Swahili in Arusha, Tanzania this summer.

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Amy Strieter is a Ph.D. student in English. She will study Swahili in Arusha, Tanzania this summer.

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Lily Waskiewicz is a junior majoring in political science (pre-law). Lily has unfortunately needed to decline the scholarship in Malang, Indonesia due to family reasons.

Stan Yerrick is a junior majoring in political science. They will study Arabic in Amman, Jordan this summer.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

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Jennifer Ayarkwa graduated in 2022 with a BA in Spanish. She will begin her role as an English teaching assistant in Colombia in August 2024.

Fulbright Taiwan English Teaching Flagship Fellowship

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Kana Wisniewski is a graduating senior in biological sciences. She will begin her role as an English teaching assistant in Taiwan in August 2024.

Fulbright Taiwan/Foundation for Scholarly Exchange English Teacher Training Award

Alexis Karolin graduated in 2022 with a BA in History. She will begin her role as an English teacher trainer in Taiwan in August 2024.

Fulbright U.K. Summer Institutes

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Luca Gee is a freshman majoring in art history. They will travel to the University of Bristol for a program focused on arts, activism, and social justice in June 2024.