10 Hamilton seniors have received Fulbright grants and English teaching assistant awards, with more decisions to be released on a rolling basis in the coming weeks. Fulbright Scholarships are part of the United States’ Cultural Affairs programs and provide students with funds to pursue their academic interests to study, conduct research, or teach abroad after graduation.
Henry Shuldiner ’19 recently received word of his Fulbright Scholarship. He says his time abroad in Chile inspired his project and proposal.
“I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during the spring semester of my junior year through School for International Training’s Education and Social Change Program,” Shuldiner said. “I observed and taught English in over 30 classrooms in Santiago, Valparaiso, Temuco, and Buenos Aires.”
Shuldiner says he desired to return to the Latin American classroom as an English teacher with his Fulbright Scholarship.
“The hands-on classroom experience I had interacting with first graders to 22-year-old students at re-entry schools was unbelievable. Each classroom was different from the next,” he said.
Hamilton College’s Student Fellowships Coordinator Ginny Dosch explains that many successful Fulbright projects derive from previous experiences like these.
“It’s essential for applicants to have the academic and experiential (e.g., research, internship, or teaching experiences, and language skills, if applicable) foundation to study, conduct research, or teach abroad,” said Dosch.
The competitive application process for the grant takes up almost the entire academic year.
Shuldiner said that “the application process takes a long time; you apply in October and then don’t hear back from the first round until January, and ultimately the decisions are released in late March.”
Fortunately, students are not alone in the application process. Dosch assists students with their applications to the Fulbright Committee.
“The application process consists of completing an online application, which includes a proposal, personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and, if applicable, in-country affiliations, as well as language evaluations by the campus deadline in mid-September,” said Dosch. “Students are interviewed by the Fulbright committee and post-interview have time to make revisions to the statements before the national deadline in early October.”
Shuldiner said that Dosch offered him helpful advice that helped make his proposal successful.
“This whole thing could not be possible without one of the most amazing and underappreciated people I have met at Hamilton, Ginny Dosch,” said Shuldiner. “Ginny knows so much about Fulbrights and how to make your application as competitive as possible — she advised me throughout the whole process and really helped me prepare my application and interview, and was a huge part of my success.”
Shuldiner predicted that this scholarship will define the rest of his post-graduation experience, saying, “I’m sure I’ll figure out what I want to do after my Fulbright more in the next 10 months and I anticipate my time in Colombia being a huge factor in my decision of what to do after.”
Dosch agreed that each student’s Fulbright scholarship project can serve as a great way for them to explore their areas of interest and plan for the future.
“Fulbright projects aren’t random — they grow out of academic interests and are directly tied to students’ future plans,” she said. “Through [their] Fulbright experiences, Hamilton alums develop critical skills in areas of interest and explore their interests and concerns in greater depth in cultures different from their own.”
Fulbright scholarships allow students to apply what they learned at schools like Hamilton to the real world.
“As a Hispanic Studies minor, I feel like I have a good understanding of how language classes work and what are effective ways of teaching and learning a new language,” said Shuldiner. “I hope to use [that understanding] in my classroom in Colombia.”
Shuldiner added that he feels excited to interact with and explore a world completely different from the life he is used to in the United States.
“I think living abroad is such a unique opportunity and not something most Americans will get to do, especially for a whole year,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to grow a lot as a student and continue to expand my worldview while also helping students learn my language as I continue to learn theirs.”
Dosch insisted that the Fulbright encourages students to expand their worldly and cultural experiences in a different country.
“Fulbright grantees are expected to be fully engaged in their host communities,” said Dosch. “We look for knowledge of the host country and ways in which students plan to participate in community activities.”
Shuldiner agreed.
“As I always tell people, one of the best things Hamilton has taught me is to be curious and get out of my comfort zone,” said Shuldiner. “I look forward to doing both of those things next year and much more!”
The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most competitive fellowship programs in the world, operating in over 160 countries and providing 8,000 grants annually.
