A total of four graduating seniors from Hope College have received recognition through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Ava Asmus of Muskegon and Alyson Davis of Palatine, Illinois, have received fellowships. Rory Campagna of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and Elizabeth (Autumn) Kim of Lake in the Hills, Illinois, each received recognition as alternates.
Asmus, who is majoring in business and minoring in economics, will enroll in a master’s degree program in international marketing management at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland. Her time at Hope has included spending the spring 2023 semester in Dublin, Ireland, through the Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology program coordinated by IES Abroad, the Institute for the International Education of Students.
Davis, who is double-majoring in German and psychology with a minor in leadership, has received a Fulbright Community-Based Combined Award for Vienna, Austria. She will teach English in an Austrian school, study German and volunteer at the Wiener Hilfswerk Nachbarschaftszentrum in Vienna, tutoring children and adults in English. Her time at Hope has included spending the spring 2023 semester in Vienna through the IES Abroad Psychology and Social Sciences program, and working as a peer advisor through the college’s Fried Center for Global Engagement for students interested in off-campus study. She is also a member of the Kappa Beta Phi (Dorian) sorority, serving as president this semester, and is the senior-class representative on the Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Campagna, who is double-majoring in chemistry and engineering with a chemical concentration, was named an alternate for the Fulbright/Casten Family Foundation Award at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, to enroll in a master’s degree program in world food studies. His time at Hope has included participating in collaborative, faculty-mentored research with Dr. Jeffrey Christians in the engineering department, where he studied halide perovskites, which are materials used to harness solar energy.
Kim, who is majoring in business with a minor in global communication, was named an alternate for a Fulbright-CY Initiative Award at the ESSEC Business School in Cergy, France, to enroll in a master’s program in MSc sustainability transformation. During her time at Hope, she participated in the spring 2022 semester in Paris, France, through the IES Paris Business School and International Affairs program. She also spent the fall 2023 semester in Paris and in London, England, through the Open Campus Block program of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). She actively participated in research and gained experience within the fashion industry through an internship in Paris during 2023-24. Through her time at Hope and abroad, she was invited by the U.S. embassy in Paris to their Printemps fashion innovation event, where she found her passion for fashion and innovation.
Since 2004, 44 Hope students or recent graduates have received awards, and several others have been named alternates or semi-finalists. Hope’s students are mentored through the application process by Dr. Janis Gibbs, associate professor of history; Dr. Stephen Maiullo, who is dean of arts and humanities and a member of the Classics faculty; and Dr. Elizabeth Sanford, professor of chemistry and department chair.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program awards grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.