Kelli Bissett of Gladstone and Justin Gustafson ‘97 of Grandville have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships for one year of postgraduate study. Alma has had eight winners of the prestigious international scholarship in the last three years.
The Fulbright Scholarship National Screening Committee named five Alma College seniors and one alumnus as finalists for the prestigious international scholarship. Bissett; Travis Gordon of Lansing; Gustafson; Taylor Heins of Grand Ledge; Megan Hlavaty of Rochester Hills; and April LaCroix of Kentwood proposed individual projects examining the environment, medical practice and learning.
The finalists will be notified about the outcome of the competition over the next two months.
Bisset, majoring in foreign service and Spanish, proposed examining the impact of Bolivian indigenous people’s concerns on their government’s natural gas policy. The daughter of Dr. Ronald Bissett of Gladstone and Jean Bissett of Colorado Springs, Colo., she is a 2001 graduate of Gladstone High School.
Gordon, majoring in exercise and health science and Spanish, proposed an examination of applying osteopathic principles to medical practices in Colombia. The son of Gary Gordon and Sharon Laraway-Gordon of Lansing, he is a 2001 graduate of Everett High School.
Gustafson, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in history and political science, has applied for a teaching assistantship in the Czech Republic to examine pedagogical issues related to experiential learning.
Heins, a foreign service major, proposed studying in Canada the U.S. and Canadian transboundary efforts to manage endangered species. The daughter of Robert and Sally Heins of Grand Ledge, she is a 2001 graduate of Grand Ledge High School.
Hlavaty, majoring in economics and Spanish, intends to examine environmental conservation efforts in Ecuador. The daughter of Mark Hlavaty of Royal Oak and Ann Naubert of Rochester Hills, she is a 2001 graduate of Troy Athens High School.
LaCroix, an economics major with a Program of Emphasis in environmental policy and sustainability, proposed studying in Canada the U.S. and Canadian transboundary efforts to manage water resources. The daughter of Mark and Lori LaCroix of Kentwood, she is a 2001 graduate of East Kentwood High School.
Recommendations from the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education, the coordinating body for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, are made on the strength of applicants’ self-designed programs to be conducted in specific countries. The applications are forwarded to the Fulbright commissions in the projects’ countries, which select recipients from all candidates applying in those countries. The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board will make the final selections.
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. A scholar receives expenses for one year of study.
Alma’s Nationally Competitive Scholarship Committee helped the finalists search for appropriate postgraduate scholarships and reviewed the proposals and applications. Alma’s committee identifies and nurtures exceptional candidates for nationally competitive scholarships, grants and awards.
