Nine Macalester students and recent graduates receive 2023 Fulbright awards

Macalester seniors and recent graduates Bella Garrioch ’23,  Eleanor Grinnell ’23 Owen Sayre ’23, Emma Iverson ’22, Rachel Percy ’22, Carter Rutherford ’22, Ollie Radovic ‘22, and Willow Fortunoff ’21 have received Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.  In addition, senior Alexandra Jabbarpour ’23 received a USTA-Fulbright award. 

As Fulbright participants, all recipients will study, conduct research, and teach abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program or related Fulbright partnerships abroad. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service. As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed alumni, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 61 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 40 who have served as a head of state or government.

Three students received awards for research: 

• Willow Fortunoff will conduct research in international relations in Ecuador. 
• Bella Garrioch will conduct research in environmental science in Sweden.
• Owen Sayre will conduct research in history and teach English in Austria .

Four students received awards for English Teaching Assistantships: 

• Ollie Radovic will teach English in Turkey. 
• Eleanor Grinnell will teach English in Kyrgyzstan. 
• Emma Iverson will teach English in Spain.
• Rachel Percy will teach English in Taiwan. 
• Carter Rutherford will teach English in Taiwan.  

One student received a USTA-Fulbright award for an English Teaching Assistantship: 

• Alexandra Jabbarpour will teach English in Austria. 

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.

“We are so proud that these nine students and recent graduates are continuing the Macalester tradition of sharing their considerable passion and skills with the world through the Fulbright program,” said President Suzanne Rivera.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.  

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered at Macalester through Dr. Ann Minnick in Academic Programs and Advising.