ATLANTA–Two Georgia State University graduate students have been selected as recipients of the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2020-21 academic year, with two securing spots as alternates.
Jaylen Jackson, M.A. in Applied Linguistics, will teach English in Brazil, as part of the English teaching assistantship. He hopes to study the Afro-Brazilian community and history of slavery in the region.
Another winner, M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology, who chose to remain anonymous, will teach English in Rwanda as part of the English teaching assistantship.
Of the 19 Georgia State students who applied for the fellowship, nine were selected as semi-finalists.
“This year has been one of the most competitive application years in Fulbright’s 75-year history,” said Katrina Helz, fellowships adviser for the Graduate School. “I am incredibly proud of these students who persevered, successfully completing applications amidst a global pandemic and social unrest. The award process was especially complex by the complications surrounding international travel presented by the pandemic.”
The Fulbright fellowship gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a host country’s customs and culture while they conduct individually designed research projects or serve as English teaching assistants. Fellows receive grants that allow them to participate in a cultural exchange through interactions based in the classroom, home and community.
This year’s award recipients include students from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Development, with alternates representing the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and the College of Law.
Competitive applicants have excellent academic backgrounds, demonstrate leadership in their fields and a desire to serve as an ambassador during their term.
Georgia State’s 2020-21 alternates are:
Courtney Taylor, J.D. in Entertainment and Finance Law, is an alternate for the English teaching assistantship in South Korea.
Nicholas Tigges, Master of Public Policy, is an alternate for the Schuman Antall Jozsef Brussels Award, to work at a European policy think tank in Belgium.
Graduate students seeking information on how to apply for Fulbright awards and other fellowships should contact Katrina Helz at khelz@gsu.edu for more information.