Three HPU Seniors Awarded Fulbright Scholarships for 2024-2025
In a record year for High Point University, three seniors have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for 2024-2025 and will be teaching English around the world. Pictured from left are Anna Tornovish, Lauren Buddie and Olivia Garner.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 23, 2024 – In a record year for High Point University, three seniors have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for 2024-2025 and will be teaching English around the world.
Lauren Buddie, an Honors Scholar from Powell, Ohio, was awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Bulgaria. Olivia Gardner, a Communication Fellow majoring in Spanish and journalism from China Grove, North Carolina, received the English Teaching Assistantship in Ecuador. Anna Tornovish, an elementary education major from Nantucket, Massachusetts, was awarded the English Teaching Assistantship in Spain.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program through an annual appropriation made by Congress. 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 140 countries worldwide.
Buddie has served as Chief Junior Marshall, vice president of Big Brothers Big Sisters and a student teaching intern at Southwest Elementary School in High Point.
“The reason I started to consider applying for Fulbright is because one of my education professors, Dr. Leslie Cavendish, referred me to apply through the Office of Fellowships and Awards,” said Buddie. “As I learned more about what Fulbright entails, I couldn’t help but think that this is what life is all about. The opportunity to immerse myself in another culture and impact the lives of others, all while doing something that I love, is the highest level of fulfillment. With the help of Dr. James Cotton, I completed the rigorous application process and waited with eager anticipation to receive my status notification. Being accepted as a Fulbright finalist is an incredible honor, and I cannot wait to begin this journey. I am most excited to interact with the Bulgarian students and learn about their culture as I gain valuable teaching experience.”
Buddie expressed gratitude to Cavendish and Cotton, an assistant professor of English and director of HPU’s Office of Fellowships and Awards, for their support throughout the application process.
“Lauren was so highly engaged in preparing for this opportunity to work as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant, in the summer of 2023 she began a virtual pen pal type of experience between students in Bulgaria and High Point,” said Cavendish. “Lauren does not wait for opportunities to come to her. She reaches out and creates unique learning experiences not just for herself but for the students she teaches.”
Gardner has served as president of the Zeta Tau Alpha women’s fraternity and worked as a student teacher of Spanish at Kirkman Park Elementary in High Point. At a recent national mock trial competition, she earned the highest scores out of 200 students representing universities from Duke to Yale.
“I first heard about the Fulbright program from Dr. Nahed Eltantawy, professor and associate dean of journalism, who was a former interviewer for one of the countries,” said Gardner. “My junior year, I fell in love with the Spanish language and culture in a way that I had never felt about something academic before. I studied abroad in Spain for a Maymester, and I wanted to do anything I could after that trip to go back or simply live abroad. I applied to the Fulbright in Ecuador because the program logistics fit my preference best and because of friends I had met in the last year from the country that had changed my life.”
Gardner gave credit to Cotton’s generous, unwavering commitment and support from professors Dr. Adam Winkel, Dr. Hayden Carron and Sara de Nicolas, who wrote recommendation letters, conducted language evaluations, helped her research Ecuador through their connections, encouraged her and celebrated her when she received the award.
“Most of my time abroad and in the university has been spent learning a more European style of Spanish,” said Gardner. “I am very eager to learn a different dialect and the culture that comes with it. Ecuador is also known for its immense natural beauty. As someone who loves the outdoors and exploring nature, I am thrilled to see everything from active volcanos to the Amazon rainforest, all within a short distance from where I will be. After my Fulbright, I hope to attend law school to pursue a career in international and immigration law. I am hopeful that this experience will give me the global mindset and language skills necessary to be successful in these areas of litigation.”
Tornovish has served as president of the Education Honors Society. She has been a member of Teachers of Tomorrow and the HPU women’s’ lacrosse club team, as well as the head recruiter and music chair for the Tri Sigma sorority. She has teaching experience in first, second and seventh grades.
Tornovish first learned about the Fulbright scholarship from a presentation that Cotton gave during a sophomore education class. Cavendish, her professor and elementary education advisor, nominated her for the award. Carolyn Adams, assistant professor of Spanish, assisted with her language evaluation.
“The people who helped me achieve the Fulbright scholarship grant to teach in Spain will forever be people I will express gratitude for,” said Tornovish. “I am most excited about being able to be on my own in a new country and experience new communities and cultures, and value a different educational experience from teaching at a bilingual school. I believe the Fulbright will affect and transform my future by enriching my abilities to teach in the United States with more experiences of cultures, languages and new resources supporting differentiations in my future classrooms. As a teacher, you always have more to learn so this opportunity will keep me open-minded, flexible and hopeful for other experiences in life.”
“I have witnessed Anna’s unwavering determination when confronted with unexpected challenges while teaching in local classrooms, exhibiting a remarkable ability to focus on solutions rather than dwelling on obstacles,” Cavendish said. “This lens will serve her well as she works as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in the Canary Islands in Spain.”