WASHINGTON, PA (May 2, 2019)—The United States Fulbright Commission selected three Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) seniors and one alumna as winners of Fulbright awards, continuing the College’s tradition of producing Fulbright Scholars.
Carmen Carroll ’19, Taylor Grinage ’19, Mario Tiberie ’19 and Sangeetha Ramakrishna ’03 will travel around the world to complete the following English teaching assistantships:
Communication Arts and Spanish major Carmen Carroll will travel to Ecuador. Through her experiences studying abroad and with the Magellan Project, Carmen feels ready to take on this next challenge. “One of our values (at W&J) is that we are global citizens. We’re not just tourists, and we’re not just researchers; we have this global citizenship where we can be a part of something larger and learn,” Carmen said.
Taylor Grinage, an accounting and international studies major, will travel to Taiwan. Taylor first became interested in pursuing a Fulbright her junior year, and was encouraged by faculty to follow that ambition. “The most impactful part about attending W&J has been the relationships I built with professors,” she said. “Dr. Buba (Misawa) and Dr. (Zheya) Gai have always encouraged my desire to learn from various perspectives and cultures. Dr. (Stephen) Kuhn, Dr. (Lori) Galley and Dr. (K. Wayne) Robison all challenge me to keep working, even when I am not confident in my ability to excel.”
Mario Tiberie, a triple major in international studies, Spanish and public policy, will travel to the La Rioja region of Spain. Mario became interested in traveling abroad while on an intersession trip to Nicaragua, and was profoundly affected by his international service learning during the course. He’s excited to begin work in Spain. “I’ll hopefully get to learn from and work with local organizations to help reduce conflict in the area due to increased migrants and refugees,” Mario said of his upcoming Fulbright. “And if I’m lucky, in my spare time I’ll get to travel and explore some European and African nations!”
Since her graduation in 2003, Sangeetha earned a master’s degree in foreign language and TESOL education at New York University and has taught German and ESL at North Allegheny School District as well as classes at Point Park University and Gannon University. Sangeetha will travel to Gent University in Belgium to teach English. Though she’s been away from W&J for a few years, Sangeetha has maintained relationships she created through her involvement during her undergraduate years. “Dr. (Michael) Shaughnessy continues to mentor me to this day,” she said. “He encouraged me to get my master’s degree in teaching and to apply for the Fulbright scholarship.”
W&J’s ties to the Fulbright Program are a staple of the College. W&J has previously been named a Top Producer of Fulbright Students by the U.S. Department of State, and has had many students and faculty Fulbright winners, earning awards consecutively for the past four years. For the past two years, the College has also hosted a group of German students for a three-week Fulbright education program, and will once again welcome a group of students through this program in late July.
More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research abroad each year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
