A total of four recent Hope College graduates have received recognition through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Colin Whitehead of Walled Lake, who is a member of the Class of 2017, has received an English teaching assistantship. He will teach in Lima, Peru, from August through June 2018.
Lucas Wiles of Cedar Springs, who is also a member of the Class of 2017, was named an alternate for a research grant to Estonia. Crystal Hollis, who is a 2010 graduate from Elmhurst, Illinois, was recognized as a semi-finalist for a research grant to the United Kingdom. Colin Rensch, who is a 2016 graduate from Kalamazoo, was recognized as a semi-finalist for a research grant to Austria.
Since 2008, a total of 28 Hope students or recent graduates have received awards; in addition, several others have been named alternates or semi-finalists. Hope’s student Fulbright applicants are mentored in the process by Dr. David Cunningham, who is a professor of religion and newly named director of the national Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE); and Dr. Janis Gibbs, associate professor of history.
Through his fellowship, Whitehead will teach in Lima, Peru, from August through June 2018. He majored in Spanish and religion, and minored in ethnic studies. His activities as a student included spending a semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain; the Phelps Scholars Program and Emmaus Scholars Program; the Union of Catholic Students; and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.