The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. Fulbright Finalists are selected from thousands of applicants based on the strength of their proposals and their academic records. The prestigious award allows American students to study in the host country of their choosing.
Here are this year’s four TCNJ Fulbright Finalists on what the next year has to offer.
Janika Berridge ’13, English Teaching Assistantship in Indonesia
I will be working as an English Teaching Assistant at a secondary school in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, a province on the island of Borneo. Since grantees must also initiate a community engaged project, I hope to start a photography club and perhaps continue the English club started by the current grantee. I’m ready to navigate a new environment, learn a new language, and become part of a different community — I’ll be living in a remote town almost 10,000 miles away from Ewing!
Rae Delacruz ’19, Research/Study Grant in Belgium
Partnering with Drs. Lieve van den Block and Lara Pivodic from Vrije Universiteit Brussels, I will be researching palliative care integration into primary care settings for recognized refugees in Belgium. We believe certain aspects of palliative care, such as caregiver aid, psychological, social and spiritual support, and cultural inclusivity, would be extremely beneficial for such vulnerable populations, especially at the start of their care. I am excited to immerse myself in the culture, particularly with regards to health and health practices. When I return, I will be attending The University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Public Health Program. One of my shorter term goals through Fulbright is to foster international palliative care and health research partnerships between Vrije Universiteit Brussels and UPenn. My long term goal is to get a PhD in epidemiology, become an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the CDC, and later work for government at the international, federal, or state levels as an epidemiologist.
Carlie Goode ’19, Combined English Teaching Assistantship and Research/Study Grant in Austria
I’ll be an English Teaching Assistant in two high-level high schools in Vienna, Austria, conducting historical research on how Austrians have depicted themselves through monuments regarding the Nazi period, and I’ll be taking a few classes at University of Vienna. Austria is a beautiful, commanding, artsy country that has been kind to me. I’ve visited multiple times since I was sixteen years old, studied abroad in Salzburg, and I speak decent German now. I’ve had some of my biggest challenges and triumphs there.
Jahnvi Upreti ’19, English Teaching Assistantship in Colombia
I will be living in Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia, teaching at a university as an English Teaching Assistant, and combining my passions for writing and community outreach to build and present a compelling narrative that accurately depicts Colombia. Colombia has managed to transform itself into one of the leading nations in South America and is stronger politically, economically, and socially today than it ever was before — I want to learn how exactly Colombia implemented a successful peace-building process, in the hopes that I can learn more about how to strengthen my home country of Nepal. In the long term I would like to establish a non-profit organization or think tank in Nepal that connects different policy makers, lawyers, government officials, and community activists to challenge and evolve legislation that marginalizes women.
— Sarah Voorhees ’19