Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been recognized as a leading producer of Fulbright recipients for the seventh time in 12 years. This year, three graduates are participating in the 2024-25 international academic exchange program as English teaching assistants.

Chancellor James Schmidt commented on this achievement, stating, "This national recognition speaks to the excellence of our faculty, our students and our commitment to offering Blugolds the chance to make the world a better place." He emphasized that their dedication to providing top-tier study abroad and immersion opportunities is a key factor in their success as a Fulbright producer.

Since its inception at UW-Eau Claire with two grant recipients in 1964, the university has consistently produced Fulbright scholars. Among Universities of Wisconsin schools, only UW-Madison surpasses UW-Eau Claire's total of 54 awards. It is uncommon for regional public comprehensive universities like UW-Eau Claire to compete with flagship institutions in terms of Fulbright production.

Colleen Marchwick, director of the Center for International Education at UW-Eau Claire, highlighted the significance of the Fulbright program: “The program is special as it contributes to the vision and creation of a more peaceful world.” She reflected on its origins post-World War II with an aim to foster mutual understanding between nations and stressed its ongoing relevance today.

The current year's grant recipients engaged in various curricular and co-curricular activities that equipped them with skills necessary for successful applications. Marchwick encouraged students to take full advantage of what UWEC offers by studying languages and cultures, traveling abroad for academic purposes, and engaging in undergraduate research.

Madalyn McCabe from New Berlin is one such recipient currently teaching at multilingual schools in Luxembourg. She expressed her desire to incorporate diverse histories into her future U.S. classrooms thanks to her experiences through Fulbright: “Now, more than ever, I want to bring a variety of histories and experiences into my classroom."

Zachary May from Lake Geneva is another recipient who is teaching in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. He spoke about how language learning helps build community: “Students become more invested in the language when classes are centered around topics they are interested in.”

Anna Wendorff from Stillwater has found her experience teaching middle school and high school students in Goesan-eup, South Korea transformative: “From the grant year I'll leave with countless new experiences... Post-Fulbright I hope to apply everything that I've learned.”

Elizabeth Zahn from Outagamie remains hopeful as she awaits news on whether she will be selected as an English teaching assistant for Spain during next year's award cycle.

Since 1946 over 400 thousand individuals have participated globally under this prestigious program which includes notable alumni such as heads-of-state Nobel laureates Pulitzer Prize winners among others all exchanging ideas building connections addressing complex global challenges together while fostering peaceful relations worldwide.