International Studies Grants and Scholarships

Fulbright Scholarships
David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships

Fulbright Scholarships

Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program's inception, more than 250,000 participants - chosen for their leadership potential - have had the opportunity to observe each other's political, economic and cultural institutions.

Recipients of this prestigious grant have been:

Eric Roland, Research Project: "The Role of Uruguay in MERCOSUR" 1997-1998
Bryan Fitzgerald, Teaching Assistant in Germany 2000-2001
Laura Beauregard, Teaching Assistant in France
Kelly Kominsky, Teaching Assistant in France
Laura Donohue, Teaching Assistant in France

Freeman Asia Foundation

The primary goal of the Freeman-ASIA Program is to increase the number of American undergraduates who study in East and Southeast Asia, by providing students with the information and financial assistance they will need. Awardees will be expected to share their experiences with their home campus to encourage study abroad by others, and to spread understanding of Asia in their home communities.

Recipients Have Included:

Michael Mercer

Mary Claire Finnen

Lauren Howard

Gabriel Munoz

Erin Teeling

Jacqueline Dyer

David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships for Study Abroad

The David L. Boren scholarship, a federal government award, was created by the National Security Education Act of 1991, the prestigious scholarships are intended in part to increase Americans' understanding of less commonly taught languages and cultures.

Our two Internatinal Studies majors who received this scholarship in 2002 are Jessica L. Viner of Wolcott, Connecticut, and Stephanie Medvigy, of Aurora, Colorado.

Jessica L. Viner, a double major in international studies and politics will be spending her junior year at Herzen University in St. Petersburg studying the language, as well as history, politics and other subjects taught in Russian. She pursued the Boren scholarship after a visit to Ukraine in the summer of 1999, where she "fell in love with the Slavic culture." Jessica has been president of Fairfield's Model United Nations for the past two years and was a finalist for a U.S. State Department Thomas A. Pickering fellowship. She hopes to pursue a career in the United Nations, foreign service or a related organization.

Stephanie Medvigy, vice president of Fairfield's Model United Nations and the French club is spending her junior year in Hungary. She just returned from a three-week intensive French study at the American University in Paris. Now she is in Budapest, where her father was born. She hopes to add an individually designed major in Russian and Eastern European Studies, and work for the government in some capacity.

More information and pictures

Bryan Fitzgerald, Teaching Assistant in Germany 2000-2001

Bryan received his BS in 2000. He double majored in International Business and German.

He was a writer on staff of the campus newspaper, and a host and writer for variety show at the university TV station, and among others, a member of Alpha Mu Gamma for his accomplishments in German and Sigma Iota Rho for his work in International Studies. In his junior year he went with the Fairfield University's Baden-Württemberg-Exchange to Germany to study for one year at Freiburg University. After his return he became an assistant teacher in the Modern Language department. Because study abroad and knowing foreign languages seem to be a big plus for being accepted as a Fulbright scholar we would like to quote Bryan from his Fulbright application.

"As a freshman at Fairfield University, I learned that German was a foreign language option. In spite of taking Spanish in both junior high and high school, I decided to pursue German. Being an international business major, I understood that knowledge of German was key to conducting business in Western Europe.

(...) Before heading to Germany, a colleague of mine gave me very important advice, pertaining to study abroad. She told me that to study abroad is to learn with every pore of your body. (...) After two weeks, I pleaded my parents to send me a ticket home. They refused much to my benefit. Day by day, I slowly acclimated myself to my surroundings. (...) I accepted this challenge of studying abroad and not only met it, but I am a stronger person because of my opportunity."

Kristin Dalbec, Teaching Assistant in France 2000-2001

Kristin got her BA in 2000. She double majored in French and International Studies with a minor in Asian Studies.

She studied for one year at the American Institute for Foreign Study at the UniversitŽ de Paris IV: La Sorbonne, and on her return became an assistant teacher for French at Fairfield University. Regarding her plans to teach in France, Kristin says, my interests "have resulted from my own love of learning. (...) Vast experiences are opened for people through bilingualism, and I hope to contribute to others' opportunities. (...) Having grown up with a bilingual grandmother and a great uncle, who worked for the Vatican because of his proficiency in seven languages, I learned first hand how valuable language fluency really is.

(...) After my Fulbright experience, my immediate future plan are to volunteer in Africa as an English teacher. (...) Fairfield University courses such as African Politics and an independent study of Litterature de l'Africe Francophone have solidified my desire to work with a francophone Africa. (...) At the administrative level, I will be able to assess the needs of the francophone countries, recruit volunteers, and even train the volunteers in their responsibilities. (...) I have always wanted to help people, and this occupation will allow me to live my life-long ambition to bridge the existing gap between less-developed and developed countries."

Sharon Rusconi, Teaching Assistant in France 2001-2002

Sharon earned her BA in 2001 with a double major in International Studies and French.

Sharon loves teaching. She worked for Sunshine Kids, an after-school program for children whose lives have been affected by a family member contracting HIV/AIDS. In addition she taught at Head Start, a preschool program for underprivileged toddlers, who need extra attention before entering kindergarten. Although she was unable to spend a year in a French speaking country, her French was so good that she was awarded the Crouteau Scholarship in French, which is given to outstanding French majors. Nevertheless, she recalls a high school trip to Montreal which made her fall "in love with the beauty of the language and the history it could unlock." In order to combine her love for French and teaching she did a teaching internship for French at the Fairfield Preparatory School. Sharon argues in her Fulbright application that a teaching assistantship in France would be the "perfect blend" to teach and to speak more French. She explains, "having a native speaker teach a foreign language is extremely beneficial. Not only is the teacher a master of vocabulary and grammar, but can also share anecdotal stories with the students in order to bring the language, as well as the culture, to life."

Her plans for the future she describes as follows: "After completing my Fulbright teaching assistantship, I would like to work for a US company that has locations in French speaking nations. Although I do plan to teach French in the US in the future, I believe that it is important for students to learn by example. In order to increase the enrollment rate of American students in French courses, it is critical that we show the practicality of taking French as a foreign language. My business experience would establish this link."

Eric Roland, Research Project: "The Role of Uruguay in MERCOSUR" 1997-1998

Eric Roland received his BA in 1997. He majored in International Studies with minors in Economics, Marketing and Spanish Eric was a mission volunteer to Quito, Ecuador with the Fairfield University's Campus Ministry, and worked for two weeks during May 1995 with impoverished families. The spring semester 1996 he studied in Seville, Spain.

In his Fulbright application he argues that "the opportunity to study in Uruguay and immerse myself in this South American culture will undoubtedly provide me with a strong foundation for graduate study and a future career in international economic development."

Furthermore Eric writes about himself: "I found that that which is new or foreign to me contains a potentially rich discovery. "From a young age, my family impressed upon me not only the critical value of fundamental education but the importance of learning outside the classroom, forming a cohesive synthesis of practical and intellectual development. "After gaining an academic scholarship to study at Fairfield University, I chose to pursue a major in International Studies, attracted by its challenging interdisciplinary coursework and its focus on dynamic contemporary issues. I narrowed my focus on international economics, "(and while in Spain I) not only immersed myself in this new, foreign environment but also studied the European Union in-depth. "Through my research, I have strengthened my skills in data and market analysis."

Since returning to the U.S., Eric has worked with Accenture (formerly Anderson Consulting), Notre Dame Highschool in Fairfield, and in fall 2004 entered the Fletcher School at Tufts University.