Ten Brigham Young University students and alumni were chosen as semi-finalists for the 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. This prestigious scholarship offers recipients funding for a year of graduate study, research, or English teaching in one of over 140 countries, with the goal of promoting international goodwill.
As these students completed their applications, they received guidance and direction from advisors at the BYU office of National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships. The advisors assist students with applications, interview preparation, and other aspects of applying to competitive scholarships.
Meet nine out of the 10 BYU Fulbright semi-finalists.
Kira Myers (‘23) from central California is an Asian Studies major with a Korean emphasis. She applied for the Fulbright South Korea English Teaching Assistantship to teach secondary English in Korea and was selected as semi-finalist. She was drawn to the Fulbright Program as a way to expand her cultural understanding, improve her language skills, and share aspects of American culture with the Korean people.
Myers’ interest in Asian studies began during her childhood. “My dad does a Chinese martial art, Wing Chun,” Myers said. “Because of this, I had lots of Asian culture in my life, which made me interested in Asian culture. I eventually became specifically interested in Korea and decided to follow that.”
After learning about the Fulbright award in an email from the National Scholarships office, Myers thought it seemed like a great opportunity to explore her interests. “I am studying Korea and wanted to go there so the country choice was a no brainer,” Myers said. “I have always been interested in teaching and thought the Fulbright gave the perfect opportunity for me to teach English and gain experience in Korea.”
Myers’ coursework at BYU has had a lasting impact on her. In Myers’ Classical Civilizations class, her teacher once bore a uniquely powerful testimony which strengthened her testimony. Myers’ Asian Religion class helped her to think more about others and exposed her to new ways of thinking. One of her most meaningful experiences was in her Introduction to Asian Studies class.
“I wrote an essay about a Korean folktale using a personality test, and I found a passion for trying to use a story to see what it could say about the culture it comes from,” Myers said. “In each class I took, I found more of the world that I wanted to learn about in new ways. I think the nature of the classes help me to want to learn more and more.”
Myers hopes to continue to build upon all that she’s learned by pursuing a master’s degree in comparative literature and writing books about folklore.
Paul Guajardo (‘23) is a semi-finalist for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain. He is a recent Honors Programgraduate in English and history. Guajardo grew up in Houston, Texas, and spent three years living in Latin America, spending much of that time in Mexico. Taking courses on Latin American history from Jeffrey Shumway, Ph.D. inspired him to add a history major to his coursework.
“After living in Latin America, I knew I wanted to learn more about all the Spanish-speaking world which is how I became interested in my field,” Guajardo said. “Currently, I am planning to attend graduate school and my proposed topic is to study Equatorial Guinea and Afro-Latinos.”
Guajardo has presented research at 10 academic conferences with two more planned for this year and has published five essays in undergraduate journals with one more accepted. Not only did Guajardo create the Student Association for Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum, he also oversaw it as president. Guajardo received the Kennedy Scholar award and is a Research Academy Fellow with the School of Family and Social Sciences. More of his achievements include winning a Humanities Undergraduate Mentoring Grant and several other awards from the College of Humanities and Histories Department. Guajardo was also the editor of The Thetean, a BYU student journal of historical essays.
At the Study Abroad Fair during his freshman year, Guajardo learned about the Fulbright while talking to a BYU faculty member. With the long-term goal of studying Equatorial Guinea and Spanish Islands, Guajardo knew he could benefit from becoming familiar with Spain’s culture and history, perfecting his Spanish, and gaining teaching experience, making the Spain Teaching Assistantship the perfect fit.
“I take the ambassadorial aspect of the Fulbright very seriously,” Guajardo said. “I want to represent the United States of America well to the people of Spain and help them learn more about the United States and improve their language abilities.” For this purpose, one of Guajardo’s proposed projects was to create a poetry workshop, where communities could appreciate art from other cultures and learn about other languages.
Guajardo feels his time at BYU prepared him for the Fulbright. His study of English and history, both writing-heavy disciplines, helped him with his application. He also benefitted from the resources offered by the National Scholarships office. “I think the Fulbright embodies the ‘go forth to serve’ and ‘the world is our campus’ mottos of BYU, and I would encourage others to apply as well,” Guajardo said. “There are opportunities all around us, and BYU has taught me to try no matter the odds. I also believe God has a plan for each of us and so if something doesn’t work out, there is always another door and another adventure waiting.”
Guajardo is accepted to the University of Cambridge to study world history and hopes to get a Ph.D. in history and become a professor.
John McHenry (‘23) recently graduated in Middle East studies/Arabic. He hopes to pursue a career in diplomacy, focusing on Middle East/Central Asian affairs and was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Tajikistan. McHenry said despite a rich culture dating back centuries, many Americans don’t know about Tajikistan.
“I want to be an English Teaching Assistant Fulbright Grantee in Tajikistan because I care about the Tajik culture and people, and I want to help give Tajiks linguistic skills that are necessary in a globalized economy,” McHenry said. “Because Tajikistan is in a critical intersection between Iran, Russia, and the Middle East, it has cultural, linguistic, and political influences from all three spheres and should therefore be of interest to anyone who studies these regions.”
Various experiences at BYU helped McHenry to understand international affairs in a deeper way. He had great experiences while participating in campus clubs such as Sigma Iota Rho, and his professors challenged him to think critically about complex global issues.
“While condensing difficult hot button geo-political issues into political talking points tends to unfortunately be prevalent, the BYU professors and staff have helped me understand how multi-faceted and nuanced many of these issues are and how having an open mind and an empathetic heart are crucial to being a good global citizen,” said McHenry.
McHenry said receiving the Fulbright Award would be the highest honor of his academic career, provide a framework for his path of study, and help him accomplish a lifelong goal of giving back to his community.
Haley McBride (‘22) is a semi-finalist for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain’s Canary Islands. She recently completed her degree in environmental and occupational public health. McBride chose the field of public health for its wide variety of disciplines and opportunities.
“I've always wanted a career where I can help protect the environment and interact with people who feel as passionately about conservation as I do,” McBride said. “In my future career I hope to become an environmental lawyer to create and adapt policy that protects the health of our population as well as the health of our natural resources.”
McBride heard about the award from a current grantee who is teaching English in Portugal. “This award is something that would bolster and expand my worldly perspective while allowing me to share my skills at the same time,” McBride said. “I knew I wanted to apply to the Canary Islands in Spain because it would allow me to use my skills with Spanish and experience how another country protects and conserves their natural areas.”
McBride’s experiences at BYU prepared her to be recognized as a Fulbright Semi-Finalist. McBride was published as a co-author in the Environment journal, participated in an independent research project researching air quality in Nepal, and worked with several professors on their research pursuits.
She is grateful for the guidance she received from advisors at the National Scholarships office, who were helpful and encouraging to her in the process of completing her Fulbright application. Many others have also supported her along the way.
“The biggest treasure of BYU to me was the people I was able to meet,” McBride said. “In my studies of public health, I felt that the people I met were intelligent and kind and wanted to make the world a healthier place, which has motivated me when I felt uncertain about my goals, my career path, and my studies. Being surrounded by so many people with good intentions has taught me to value service and honesty over anything else.”
Colin Robinson (‘22) was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Fulbright United Kingdom Study/Research Award. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and is currently working on a master’s in biology at BYU. He hopes to pursue a master’s degree and Ph.D. in astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
During his research mapping the distribution of microbes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and the Transantarctic Mountains, Robinson collected data that suggested the possibility of microbial life on Mars. He plans to continue researching this topic in his future career.
“Following my education at the University of Edinburgh, I plan to work as a postdoc at the UK Centre for Astrobiology,” Robinson said. “There I hope to study the metabolites produced by microbes that can digest inorganic carbon found on asteroids. Following my postdoctoral training, I plan to pursue a position as a mission specialist at NASA, where I hope to help further our search for life in the solar system through missions to the moon, Mars, Europa, and Titan.”
Robinson had heard of the Fulbright award, and was reminded of it by Professor Charles Cockell, who is an astrobiologist at the University of Edinburg. Because it’s one of the only universities in the world to offer degree programs in astrobiology, studying at the University of Edinburg became the clear choice.
Robinson discovered his passion for astrobiology during his undergraduate study. He considers his research in the Antarctic Ecology and Evolution Laboratory under Byron Adams, Ph.D., his most formative experience at BYU.
Robinson said, “Though the lab was not an astrobiology focused lab, I had the opportunity to explore my own research interests. This allowed me to learn which research avenues I was excited about and helped me decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. . . I also learned sometimes in science we learn more from the apparent setbacks than we do from the successes. Dead ends often lead to more interesting questions with more interesting answers.”
Ben Stone (‘23) recently graduated with a degree in bioinformatics. Stone was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Fulbright Study/Research Award in Estonia, where he plans to spend 10 months working at the Estonian Biobank. While there, Stone aims to develop a tool that can predict whether a person with cardiovascular disease is likely to develop a mental health condition, and at what age they might experience symptoms if this occurs.
“I love genetics because it is like learning a language that explains people,” Stone said. “Majoring in bioinformatics has helped me to understand how genetics can be applied to many different areas of research. While serving my mission in the Baltics, I realized I wanted to pursue a career that would enable me to help people each day. I hope to become a physician, but I am also excited about the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in the medical field.”
Having worked in research labs at BYU, UCLA, and Harvard, Stone has done research in comparative genomics of disease, population genetics, and cardiology, with recent research focused on the risk factors for atrial fibrillation. He plans to apply to medical school this summer to become a physician and wants to help incorporate precision medicine into clinical practice. After hearing about the Fulbright award from a friend who previously applied, he chose to apply to study in Estonia, which is uniquely suited to his research goals.
“I enjoyed the process of developing my own research question and finding a mentor who shares my interests,” Stone said. “I specifically chose Estonia because of its large biobank, which has collected genetic data for nearly 20 percent of the adult population. This large dataset will allow me to make meaningful discoveries about the Estonian population. Having served my mission in the Baltics, I am also excited to be able to use my Russian again to make connections and reunite with friends there.”
Involvement in his local and campus communities prepared Stone for the Fulbright. Over the past four years, he has worked as an ACT tutor for local high schools helping over 250 students. During his time at BYU, Stone spent a lot of time solving complex problems.
“The work I have done in my classes and research labs helped me to develop critical thinking skills that will be very useful for the Fulbright and my future ambitions,” Stone said. “Whether working on a computer science algorithm, writing an essay for persuasive writing, or coordinating the Cougs vs. Cancer 5k run, I have often been asked to think of my own questions and develop solutions to find answers.”
Ace Bookwalter (Dec ‘22) recently graduated with a degree in linguistics and was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Fulbright Korea English Teaching Assistantship. Bookwalter’s interest in languages began during their missionary service.
“. . . when I went on my mission to the Philippines, I was able to learn Hiligaynon, my mission language, as well as teach myself Tagalog. There, I found my passion for languages and cultures,” Bookwalter said.
Bookwalter first heard about the Fulbright Program through their Tagalog class. “I wanted to do the Fulbright because I love languages and culture as well as teaching, and this was a perfect opportunity to combine all three . . . I chose Korea because I have always loved Asian countries and cultures and have always had an interest in learning a language which uses a different writing system.”
While at BYU, Bookwalter went on a study abroad to Ecuador to learn Kichwa and study language documentation. Bookwalter hopes to continue to use the skills they have learned to help others.
“In the future I hope to return to the Philippines as a documentational linguist and begin the documentation of the many Filipino languages that have been tragically under researched and under recorded up to this point,” Bookwalter said.
Mary Sharp (‘23) is an interdisciplinary humanities major with an emphasis in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and a minor in international development. As a semi-finalist for the Fulbright Panama English Teaching Assistantship, she aims to foster connection between Panama and the U.S. through education and cultural exchange. Her interest in languages originally came from friendships she made during her youth.
“Growing up, many of my peers came from different parts of the world, and I loved learning about their different cultures and languages,” Sharp said. “After I graduated high school, I started working at a cake bakery; while there, I began learning Spanish. When I started at BYU a few months later, I decided to continue those studies in language and peoples and make it my academic focus.”
Sharp continues to seek experiences with other cultures while at BYU. Over the past couple of years, she volunteered as an online tutor for Afghani refugee women in Sacramento, California. She has developed friendships with these women and their families and learned about their Afghani culture and the Dari language to help support them in their goals. One of the women she worked with recently moved into a house and will soon begin college-level studies. Sharp has also worked as an aide for English Language Learners at an elementary school, where she supported a newly immigrated student and his mother as they adjusted to a new language, culture, and school.
“I love that BYU has been a place where I’ve met and interacted with people from all over the world. As part of an assignment for one of my Spanish classes, I interviewed an elderly neighbor of mine from Colombia,” Sharp said. “She connected me with her niece who lives in Colombia and works as a teacher there, and that has led to many Facetime calls and messages in both Spanish and English. I’ve been able to learn more about Colombian culture, the Spanish language, and the lives and families of these women, all of which have been instrumental to helping me see how the world is so much bigger than just my own experiences, and that others’ perspectives can be hugely enriching, enlarging, and uplifting.”
After hearing about Fulbright during a presentation from the National Scholarships office, Sharp researched further and decided it matched perfectly with her personal and professional goals, including gaining hands-on experience with education in a Spanish-speaking country.
Although Sharp can see her career taking many different paths, her main goal is “to care for children and their families by fostering hope and helping them to understand that each of their unique stories and perspectives are needed in this world.”
Curtis Hoffman is also a 2023-24 Fulbright Semi-Finalist.
Students interested in applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student program may contact the BYU office of National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships, at national.scholarships@byu.edu to speak with an advisor. To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, visit: