Show-Me State Times

Saint Louis University has announced that six of its students have reached the semifinalist stage for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. These students were recommended by the Fulbright U.S. National Screening Committees, and their applications are now being considered by host countries for final selection. The final decisions will be communicated to applicants in the spring.

The students who have advanced to this stage include Lydia Cohen, who is applying for an English Teaching Assistant Award in Germany; Anuj Ghandi, who is pursuing a Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award in India; Kalina Kapetanovic, also applying for an English Teaching Assistant Award but in Spain; Thomas Baker, seeking a Binational Business Program award in Mexico; Monique Maerilyn Valdepenas, another candidate for an English Teaching Assistant Award in Mexico; and Olivia Wendel, aiming for an Open Study/Research Award in Colombia.

The Fulbright program offers two types of awards: Open Study/Research Awards and English Teaching Assistant Awards. The former allows candidates to propose research or study at the graduate level in a specific country, while the latter places recipients in classrooms overseas to support local English language instruction. Some countries also offer specialty grants for internships and similar opportunities. Recipients receive funding for eight to ten months.

Selection for these awards is merit-based and considers various factors such as academic performance, personal qualifications, language skills, and project quality. The program's goal is to promote mutual understanding among nations.

Since its inception in 1946, over 390,000 individuals have participated in the Fulbright program across more than 140 countries. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it provides approximately 2,000 grants annually for international graduate study, research, university teaching, and school teaching worldwide.