Fulbright Grants Awarded to Two Shucker Graduates

Four Furman University students have been awarded English Teaching Assistantships from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Fulbright recipients, who will begin their teaching assignments this fall, are Natalia Arenas (Simpsonville, S.C.); Bryan Betts (Tega Cay, S.C.); A.J. Calhoun (Charlotte, N.C.); and Kayla Hirsch (Fort Mill, S.C.).

Natalia Arenas, a graduating senior from Simpsonville, is majoring in political science and Chinese studies. She will be teaching in Taiwan. She is the daughter Hildebrando Arenas and Ruth N. Arenas.

Bryan Betts of Tega Cay is a 2014 summa cum laude graduate in English and philosophy.  He will be teaching in South Korea. He is the son of Wallace J. Betts and Kasey L. Betts.

A.J. Calhoun, a graduating senior from Charlotte, N.C., is majoring in urban studies and political science, and will be teaching in Malaysia. His parents are Andy C. Calhoun and Joann D. Calhoun.

Kayla Hirsch of Fort Mill is a graduating senior whose major is political science and German. Her Fulbright award will take her to Germany. Hirsch is the daughter of Deborah S. Hirsch and Randall D. Hirsch.

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program, which operates in more than 155 countries worldwide, 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 Fulbright Program drew more than 10,000 applicants nationwide for the current series of awards. Says Dr. Scott Henderson, Professor of Education and Furman’s Director of National and International Scholarships, “Four recipients in a single year is remarkable, and considering Furman’s size and the competitiveness of the program, it’s even more noteworthy.”

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 310,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

For more information call the Furman News and Media Relations Office at (864) 294-3107. More about the Fulbright Program may be found at www.cies.org/.