Two Austin College seniors have been selected as Fulbright Semi-Finalists for the 2023-2024 academic year. Seniors Natalia Nevarez and Addison Norman have been recommended to the National Screening Committee for the prestigious award from the Fulbright Program. The final selections will be announced later this spring after review by the supervising agency in the host countries.
Those selected to receive the Fulbright Grant will spend an academic year abroad engaging with the host community and sharing creative insight while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. According to Dr. Patrick Duffey, Spanish professor and campus Fulbright advisor, Austin College has a total of 45 Fulbright awards and since 2008 has averaged two Fulbright awards per year.
Natalia Nevarez ’23 of Fort Worth, Texas, is the daughter of Benjamin and Socorro Nevarez. She has applied for an English Teaching Assistantship in South Korea. She is an International Studies major with a minor in Global Science, Technology, and Society. Nevarez says, “As someone who learned English as a second language and continues taking language classes with the goal of improving my language skills, I have found both my passion and potential to teach the English language. I have also found the importance of exposing my potential students to the various cultures that make up the United States.” She says she hopes to earn a masters degree in International Relations and participate in programs through the Department of State to become a Foreign Service Officer.
Addison Norman ’23 of Pilot Point, Texas, is the daughter of Jason and Donna Norman. She has applied for the Fulbright Manchester Metropolitan University Creative Writing Award in the United Kingdom. She is an English major with an emphasis on creative writing and is completing a minor in Psychology.
Norman says, “During my time at Manchester Metropolitan University, if I am fortunate enough to win this award, I plan to enroll in the novel track of their creative writing MA program. While there, I will spend a year working under an excellent team of professors and instructors, further honing my skills and expanding my understanding of this ever-evolving craft.” She says she’s interested in being a Fulbright ambassador in the city of Manchester due to its prevalence in the literary world and designation as an UNESCO City of Literature.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Fulbright grant recipients are selected based on academic or professional achievement and proven leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.