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PLU grads named Fulbright recipients
May 18, 2007
After returning from a semester abroad in Austria, Jessica Hanson ’07 immediately began plotting her return to the country once she graduated from PLU.
When German professor Janet Holmgren suggested she apply for a Fulbright scholarship, it seemed like the perfect opportunity, Hanson said. She dove into the lengthy application process last summer and recently learned she received a Fulbright study grant in Austria.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Hanson said of receiving the scholarship. “I don’t feel like I’m any different, any smarter. It boggles my mind sometimes.”
Hanson (pictured) is one of four graduating seniors and one alumnus who received Fulbright scholarships for next year, bringing the total number of PLU students to ever receive the prestigious award to 76. This year’s recipients represent a breadth of countries.
Along with Hanson, Mike Wauters ’07 received a study grant, while Jamie Stewart ’07, Vanessa Bruce ’07 and Lucas Dolge ’06 received English teaching assistantship grants. Jennifer Henrichsen ’07 has been named a recipient, but her award is contingent upon being accepted to a Swiss university. At this point, she hasn’t been accepted.
Hanson received a joint study and teaching assistantship to Austria. She will be working with a professor from the University of Graz to study the Austrian approaches to immigration, while also teaching English as a second language about 12 hours per week, she said.
Hanson’s interest in Austrian immigration issues was sparked during her semester studying in the country. She worked with homeless children and was shocked to discover Austria was home to a large population of Nigerian immigrants, she said.
The other student to receive a study grant was Wauters, who will travel to Ecuador’s Pastaza Province to investigate an outbreak of Chagas disease. The disease is similar to malaria, but not much is understood about it and few people even know it exists, he said. The disease is the number one cause of heart disease in Latin America.
Like Hanson, Wauters’ interest in applying for a Fulbright stemmed from his study away experience, a J-Term in Ecuador during his junior year. He wanted to return to the country after graduation, and the grant provided that opportunity, he said.
“I was struck by the people,” he said of his desire to return to Ecuador. “I wanted to return … I planned to teach English or volunteer.”
Wauters’ plans changed when he learned of the Fulbright program from Rodney Swenson, professor emeritus and coordinator of PLU’s Fulbright program. Wauters jumped at the opportunity. He found plenty of support among faculty and staff, which bolstered his confidence and made the tedious application process less painful, he said.
In the program, students are expected to be “ambassadors of peace,” Wauters said. The program is generous with money because students are expected to travel within their host country and experience the culture, learning about and talking with the people there.
The remaining PLU recipients – Stewart, Bruce and Dolge – will all spend next year teaching English as a second language in secondary schools. Stewart will be in Bandung, West Java, in Indonesia; Bruce will be in Nantes, France; and Dolge will be in South Korea.
Both Stewart and Bruce said they want to volunteer at local nonprofit organizations during the year. Stewart said she is looking forward to being immersed in Indonesian society and becoming “a true guest of the country.”
Meanwhile, Henrichsen’s Fulbright award hinges on her acceptance at a university in Switzerland, a requirement mandated by the Swiss government. If accepted, she will spend next year studying the Press Emblem Campaign, which seeks to create a new international convention that protects media in zones of conflict and other dangerous situations. She discovered the campaign while studying in Geneva last summer courtesy of a Wang Center research grant. During her time there, she and was able to meet the two journalists leading the campaign.
“The whole Geneva experience allowed me to lay the groundwork for my Fulbright proposal,” Henrichsen said.
Fulbright scholarships are awarded to U.S. citizens to study overseas. The program operates in more than 140 countries and provides funding for one academic year of study or an English teaching assistantship experience.
The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 to promote “international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.” To learn more, click here.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Hanson said of receiving the scholarship. “I don’t feel like I’m any different, any smarter. It boggles my mind sometimes.”
Hanson (pictured) is one of four graduating seniors and one alumnus who received Fulbright scholarships for next year, bringing the total number of PLU students to ever receive the prestigious award to 76. This year’s recipients represent a breadth of countries.
Along with Hanson, Mike Wauters ’07 received a study grant, while Jamie Stewart ’07, Vanessa Bruce ’07 and Lucas Dolge ’06 received English teaching assistantship grants. Jennifer Henrichsen ’07 has been named a recipient, but her award is contingent upon being accepted to a Swiss university. At this point, she hasn’t been accepted.
Hanson received a joint study and teaching assistantship to Austria. She will be working with a professor from the University of Graz to study the Austrian approaches to immigration, while also teaching English as a second language about 12 hours per week, she said.
Hanson’s interest in Austrian immigration issues was sparked during her semester studying in the country. She worked with homeless children and was shocked to discover Austria was home to a large population of Nigerian immigrants, she said.
The other student to receive a study grant was Wauters, who will travel to Ecuador’s Pastaza Province to investigate an outbreak of Chagas disease. The disease is similar to malaria, but not much is understood about it and few people even know it exists, he said. The disease is the number one cause of heart disease in Latin America.
Like Hanson, Wauters’ interest in applying for a Fulbright stemmed from his study away experience, a J-Term in Ecuador during his junior year. He wanted to return to the country after graduation, and the grant provided that opportunity, he said.
“I was struck by the people,” he said of his desire to return to Ecuador. “I wanted to return … I planned to teach English or volunteer.”
Wauters’ plans changed when he learned of the Fulbright program from Rodney Swenson, professor emeritus and coordinator of PLU’s Fulbright program. Wauters jumped at the opportunity. He found plenty of support among faculty and staff, which bolstered his confidence and made the tedious application process less painful, he said.
In the program, students are expected to be “ambassadors of peace,” Wauters said. The program is generous with money because students are expected to travel within their host country and experience the culture, learning about and talking with the people there.
The remaining PLU recipients – Stewart, Bruce and Dolge – will all spend next year teaching English as a second language in secondary schools. Stewart will be in Bandung, West Java, in Indonesia; Bruce will be in Nantes, France; and Dolge will be in South Korea.
Both Stewart and Bruce said they want to volunteer at local nonprofit organizations during the year. Stewart said she is looking forward to being immersed in Indonesian society and becoming “a true guest of the country.”
Meanwhile, Henrichsen’s Fulbright award hinges on her acceptance at a university in Switzerland, a requirement mandated by the Swiss government. If accepted, she will spend next year studying the Press Emblem Campaign, which seeks to create a new international convention that protects media in zones of conflict and other dangerous situations. She discovered the campaign while studying in Geneva last summer courtesy of a Wang Center research grant. During her time there, she and was able to meet the two journalists leading the campaign.
“The whole Geneva experience allowed me to lay the groundwork for my Fulbright proposal,” Henrichsen said.
Fulbright scholarships are awarded to U.S. citizens to study overseas. The program operates in more than 140 countries and provides funding for one academic year of study or an English teaching assistantship experience.
The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 to promote “international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.” To learn more, click here.