Five Alma College seniors have received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Of six student finalists, Lindsey Dalton of Royal Oak; David Hensley of Sterling Heights; Jessica Karbowski of Freeland; Timothy Slade of Royersford, Penn.; and Luke Steinberg of Manistee; represent the largest group of Fulbright winners in Alma College history. Marilee Brooks of Charlevoix was the sixth finalist for the scholarship.
"Alma's number of finalists, six out of 1,350 students, is extraordinary!" said Dr. Derick "Sandy" Hulme, associate professor of political science and member of the Nationally Competitive Scholarship Committee. "Schools of 20,000-40,000 students may have 15-20 finalists if they are doing a very good job."
Fulbright applicants design individual country-specific programs and submit them to the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education, the coordinating body for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. This committee makes recommendations based on the strength of applicants' programs and passes acceptable proposals on to Fulbright Commissions in the appropriate country. The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board makes the final selection and recipients receive funds for one year of study.
Dalton, a foreign service major with economics and French minors, wrote a proposal for research on the effects of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) on Jamaica's economy. Dalton's personal experience working with children on a mission trip to Jamaica piqued her interest in the island and its economy, particularly in the small business sector.
Hensley, a history major with political science and French minors, proposed a study of how "pan-Francophone" thought—the idea that all French-speaking people in the world are part of a larger community—influenced the politics of the French-speaking Walloons, a minority group in Belgium. He was motivated by his interest in how ideas of one country influence the politics of another.
Karbowski, a foreign service major with an economics minor, submitted a plan to research the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in Mauritius, a small island in Africa. She hopes to discover what has made Mauritius so proficient in ICT and evaluate the possibility of less successful African countries adopting similar strategies and laws.
Slade, an exercise and health science and French double major with a chemistry minor, intends to explore the feasibility of implementing a community health care model in Benin, a small African country. He became interested in community health last summer after working with Provadenic, a public health program in Nicaragua.
Steinberg, a political science and history double major, proposed an educational program to teach English in South Korea. He undertook a similar endeavor last summer in Thailand and chose South Korea as his Fulbright destination for its recent political importance.
Funded by the United States Department of State, the U.S. Student Program is designed to give recent B.A./B.S. graduates master's and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience.
