4 Tigers Win Fulbright Awards, Most In Towson University History

Press release from Towson University: Rebecca Kirkman | April 11, 2022

Four Towson University students and recent alumni have been selected for the 2022–23

Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the most in TU history and the first time the university
has had multiple winners in a program cycle.

TU’s Fulbright winners include Claudia Jones ’14, who received an award for graduate
research, as well as Charlotte Brown ’22, Garrett Leatherman ’21 and Samuel Mejia
’20, who received English teaching assistant (ETA) assignments in Spain and Italy.

“This recognition makes Towson University one of the top producers of Fulbright finalists
in our state and country, among our peer institutions,” says Mary Sajini Devadas,
associate professor of chemistry and director of competitive fellowships & awards. “This encourages us to keep empowering our students to become world leaders in their
respective fields.”

TU has had 20 Fulbright awardees since 1968. Eleven TU students and recent graduates
applied during the 2022–23 application cycle, with five students selected as semifinalists in March.

“This historic recognition is a reflection of our overall commitment to academic excellence
and student success,” says Melanie Perreault, provost and executive vice president
for academic and student affairs. “This is a direct result of the creation of the
Office of Competitive Fellowships and Awards, started two years ago to guide students
in applying for these highly competitive programs.”

That office works with campus partners, including the Writing Center, Albert S. Cook Library and the Office of Study Abroad & Away to assist students throughout the application process. Faculty and staff on the Fulbright
advisory committee offer invaluable support to student nominees, Devadas adds, as
do faculty who provide recommendations for applicants.

The Fulbright experience builds on the opportunities gained through the study abroad
and away programs TU offers. “Fulbrighters get to meet, work, live with and learn
from the people of their host country, allowing them to gain an appreciation of others’
viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things and the way they think,” says Liz Shearer,
director of study abroad & away. “While study abroad and away experiences allow students
to broaden their global perspectives, the Fulbright program empowers individuals to
continue on their path to becoming socially responsible, engaged citizens of the world.”

Winners are chosen based on the candidates’ professional and academic records, language
preparation, feasibility of their proposal and extent that the project will advance
the Fulbright aim of promoting mutual understanding through engagement in the host
community.

Honors College senior Charlotte Brown has always wanted to live abroad after graduation.
She immigrated from the U.K. as a child, and most of her family still lives outside
of the U.S. “When I turned 18, I went to Mexico for a month to teach English, and,
since then, I have kept exploring Latin America as an English language teacher,” she
says.

A member of the TU–Baltimore County Public Schools Model UN program, Brown will continue
that passion in her secondary-school ETA placement. “I hope my experiences allow me
to support and lead the Global Classrooms program in Madrid.

“My planned [independent community service] project would form an afterschool program
for women's leadership development,” Brown says, inspired by her own experience in
TU’s Women’s Leadership Collective.

As an English major at TU, Claudia Jones attended a summer study abroad program in
Tokyo. This fall, she will build upon her scholarship outside of the U.S. by researching
educational gaming and virtual reality experiences while studying Black humanities
at the University of Bristol.

“Through this degree, I plan to research Black historical narratives within the realm
of digital humanities and video game story development,” says Jones. “Receiving a
Fulbright grant to the United Kingdom could not have been accomplished without the
assistance of the Towson Fulbright Committee through their dedication to students
and alumni. I am grateful to them, my family and my dearest friends for their utmost
support. I am truly honored.”

Jones is the only Fulbright scholar in the entire 2022–23 program cycle to receive
an award to study at the University of Bristol.

“Fulbright research awards to the United Kingdom are the most competitive and sought-after
awards,” says Devadas. “Claudia’s achievement is massive.”

Garrett Leatherman, an alternate in 2021, will fulfill his dream to live abroad in
Italy. “The program’s competitiveness and prestige seemed like a worthwhile challenge,”
Leatherman says. “[It] enriches me personally, professionally and intellectually.”
In addition to teaching, he plans to engage with the local community through writing,
noting his eagerness to share his joy of writing with the Italian community.

During his undergraduate career, Leatherman studied in Dublin and Madrid and obtained
a certification to teach English as a second language (TESOL). Adviser Katie Villamar,
associate director of the Office of Study Abroad & Away, supported Leatherman throughout
the application process. “She has guided and inspired me to put my best foot forward.”

Samuel Mejia, who is Salvadoran, wants to use his placement to reciprocate the immersive
language and cultural exchange he experienced studying abroad at the Universidad de
Salamanca in Spain. “Learning directly from Spaniards was a genuine, unobstructed
transfer of culture and language,” says Mejia, a graduate of the Honors College. “I
wish to give back to a country whose people have greatly impacted my educational and
personal journeys while simultaneously fulfilling Spain’s high demand for English
teachers.”

Mejia plans to launch a community engagement program focused on promoting mental health
and American culture through a sports club. “I look forward to investing in the mental,
emotional and social development of my students or clients [by] recognizing the importance
of cultivating life skills and interacting with them as real people.”

The Office of Competitive Fellowships & Awards supports Towson University students
seeking to advance their educational and career goals through highly competitive fellowships
and awards available nationally and globally. Faculty interested in nominating students
can do so here. For any questions, contact Mary Sajini Devadas.

For more information, follow the office on Instagram and Twitter.

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.