Four University of Nebraska–Lincoln graduating seniors and two alumni have accepted Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Fulbright program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, is supported by an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as well as partner countries around the world. Fulbright recipients are selected based on academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.
Senior Anna Synya has accepted a Fulbright award to complete a master’s degree in history at Dublin City University in Ireland; senior Alice Young has earned a study/research grant to support psychology research in Japan; and Laura Cobb, a May 2023 graduate with a Master of Fine Arts, has received a study/research grant to work on a photography project in Germany. In addition, three Husker undergraduates and an alumnus have accepted English Teaching Assistant placements to support English language classroom instruction and serve as cultural ambassadors for the United States.
An additional graduating senior plans to decline a Fulbright offer, another was named an alternate, and five others were named semifinalists.
Following is a list of Husker students who have accepted Fulbright awards, organized alphabetically by hometown, with their academic major(s), country where they will teach and/or study and Fulbright grant type.
Nebraska
- Ceresco: Thursey Cook, secondary education (English), Germany, English Teaching Assistant
- Lincoln (and Kherson, Ukraine): Anna Synya, criminology and criminal justice, Ireland, master’s program
- Omaha: Alice Young, psychology, Japan, Study/Research
Elsewhere in the U.S.
- Overland Park, Kansas: Laura Cobb, May 2023 graduate, Master of Fine Arts, Germany, Study/Research
- Minnetonka, Minnesota: Samuel Ahlquist, December 2023 graduate, political science and Russian, Kyrgyzstan, English Teaching Assistant
- Fort Worth, Texas: Hayden Ullmann, secondary education (French and Spanish), Germany, English Teaching Assistant
In addition, graduating senior Kayleigh Casey was offered both a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award for Germany and a U.S. Teaching Assistantship for Austria, a separate cultural exchange program sponsored by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Because Casey plans to accept the latter placement to teach in Vienna, she will be considered a finalist for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Similarly, graduating senior and Fulbright semifinalist Eliana Siebe-Walles intends to accept a U.S. Teaching Assistantship to teach in Salzburg, Austria.
Graduating senior and Fulbright alternate Harmon Perez plans to accept a language assistantship with the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program, a separate cultural exchange program overseen by the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain.
In total, seven additional Husker students and recent alumni were recommended to host countries for funding consideration and recognized by the U.S. National Screening Committee as finalists, alternates or semifinalists. They are:
Nebraska
- Hastings: Nathan Nordby-Bryson, psychology, South Korea, English Teaching Assistant, semifinalist
- Henderson: Harmon Perez, secondary education (Spanish), Spain, English Teaching Assistant, alternate
- Lincoln: Mariela Hernandez, dance, United Kingdom, dance program at University of Roehampton in London, semifinalist; Carlos Ortega, secondary education (social science), Spain, English Teaching Assistant, semifinalist; Cristina Villa-Huerta, secondary education, Spain, English Teaching Assistant, semifinalist
- Omaha: Kayleigh Casey, English, German and global studies, Germany, English Teaching Assistant, finalist (declined); Eliana (Ellie) Siebe-Walles, history, Germany, Study/Research, semifinalist
At Nebraska, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships advises and nominates undergraduate candidates for 30 supported scholarships and fellowships. To learn more, students and campus community members should contact Courtney Santos, director of undergraduate research and fellowships, at courtney.santos@unl.edu.
