HPU Sets Record With 10 Fulbright Semifinalists
Pictured from left are Alexandra Bennett, Lauren Buddie, Anna Tornovish, Kristin Salvatore, Ethan Muckerheide, Savannah Graver, Olivia Gardner and Carly Zimmermann. Not pictured are Nigel Debrito and Eric Quarato.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 1, 2024 – Nine High Point University students and one alumnus have been named semifinalists for the 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. This is a record year for HPU with 10 students named Fulbright semifinalists.
Working closely with HPU’s Office of National Fellowships and Awards, each of the 10 semifinalists went through a rigorous application process that included writing two essays and a Fulbright Campus Committee interview. The students applied for fully funded graduate study and English teaching awards in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
“Our 10 semifinalists hail from academic programs across the university,” said Dr. James Cotton, HPU’s director of national fellowships and awards. “In our centennial year, 2024, they have set a new record in the history of HPU since it first started as High Point College in 1924.”
This year’s semifinalists are as follows:
Alexandra Bennett, political science and international relations majors, French and economics minors
Lauren Buddie, elementary education major
Nigel Debrito, exercise science major and 2023 alumnus
Olivia Gardner, Spanish and journalism majors, legal studies minor
Savannah Graver, international relations major, Chinese and environmental science minors
Ethan Muckerheide, psychology major, religion minor
Eric Quarato, master of communication and business leadership program
Kristin Salvatore, elementary education major with minors in Italian studies and special education
Anna Tornovish, elementary education major
Carly Zimmermann, advertising, public relations and strategic communication major, event management minor
“Dr. Cotton and the Fellowship Office transformed a daunting application into a step-by-step process that ensured my application was the best it could possibly be,” said Muckerheide, who is from Dayton, Ohio. “Being a semifinalist has given me even more gratitude toward my mentors and all those who’ve believed in me at HPU.”
“Being selected as a Fulbright semifinalist is an honor and an important step on my path toward a career in the federal government,” said Graver, who is from Allentown, Pennsylvania. “I could not have gotten this far without the encouragement and mentorship of my professor and Dr. Cotton.”
Established in 1964, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is made possible by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This exchange program offers students fully funded opportunities to pursue graduate degrees, teaching assistantships or research projects abroad in one of more than 140 countries around the world. The Fulbright U.S. Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad. During their grants, participants will work, live with and learn from people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.
Fulbright competition finalists will be named later this spring.