Graduating Senior Earns First Sherbin Fellowship, 10 Months Abroad

A new fellowship established by alumnus Robert Sherbin ’79 and named after his father, Jerry, is giving its first Kalamazoo College graduating senior a chance to go overseas for 10 months while exploring a subject of deep personal interest.

To fulfill her fellowship, Elle Waldron ’23—a women, gender and sexuality (WGS) major—will visit a variety of feminist and gender-equity organizations to witness the tools and strategies they use to execute their work and complete their goals.

“Having this opportunity to travel and continue my education is a special way to be able to see other perspectives,” Waldron said. “It affirms that it’s possible for me to continue to follow my passions of WGS and gender equity work because people are working in those fields in their careers.”

Assuming her plans develop as proposed, she will travel to Australia, South Africa, Costa Rica and Spain beginning in late August or early September. Through that she will regularly update Sherbin, the College and the Center for International Programs (CIP) on her progress. In fall 2024, she will return to K to present her experiences to prospective fellowship applicants.

Waldron said she felt overwhelmed when she first was notified that she was selected for the fellowship.

“It felt unreal and now I’m super excited,” she said. “I think part of the excitement is being able to challenge myself and push my comfort zone. I feel like this will change the trajectory of my post-grad experience.”

Waldron was one of seven applicants and three finalists in the fellowship’s first year. The other finalists were Zoe Reyes ’23, who planned to study eco-poetry on medicinal plants in biodiversity hotspots; and Shannon Brown ’23, who proposed investigating the social status of French-based creoles in the Caribbean.

Waldron “had a lot of attention to detail with her application and showed she’s aware of how she would be perceived in places as an outsider while being amenable to how she could navigate those kinds of situations,” said Lizbeth Mendoza Pineda ’16, the Sherbin Fellowship CIP liaison and a co-chair of the fellowship’s selection committee. “She also recognizes that she’s only going to be abroad for a short amount of time, yet she’s trying to make as much of an impact and learn as much as possible, while making sure that whatever work she accomplishes is sustainable. I think that’s something that impressed the committee.”

Sherbin Fellow Elle Waldron
Elle Waldron ’23 will spend 10 months abroad as the first recipient of the Jerry Sherbin Fellowship, funded by Bob Sherbin ’79.

Sherbin participated in study abroad at K by traveling to the University of Nairobi, where he was one of just six undergrads from the U.S. and the only K student.

Later, as a senior, he received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, an external grant through the Watson Foundation, that allowed him to create and follow through with a one-year project overseas. With that he spent a year in Central and West Africa as a Watson Fellow, conducting a sociological study of long-distance truck drivers. Sherbin said the experience was transformative and guided him toward graduate school at Northwestern University, years spent as an international journalist, and eventually, working as the vice president of corporate communications at NVIDIA, a Silicon Valley-based technology company.

Waldron had her own study abroad experience in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for six months last year.

“I was lucky to have a study abroad experience that allowed me to be comfortable in a space that I wasn’t familiar with because I was supported and had friends in the program,” Waldron said. “Because of that, I recognized my own skills and ability to adapt. With K providing that foundation, I feel I have a fantastic ability to investigate things abroad.”

Now, she hopes those investigations will yield long-term relationships with people from around the world and allow her to consult those people regularly in the future. She would also like it to help her become a better critical thinker and define feminism from a global perspective as it’s influenced by a variety of historical and cultural contexts.

“I think as a WGS major and as an individual, I’m interested in how gender and sexuality structures the world around me,” Waldron said. “But for me, getting out of academia is a bit of a leap, because I’m not sure how to apply all these things that I have learned. I want to work on projects that pursue gender equity and find out how to be the most effective. That’s why I’m interested in this project. I want to see what other new worlds women and people are creating, because I want to see them in my own career.”

Fulbright Extends U.S. Student Program Top Producer Honors to K

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Kalamazoo College a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

K has four representatives in the U.S. Student Program, leading to the honor for the fifth time in the past six years. K is the only college in Michigan to earn the top producer distinction in the bachelor’s institution category.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships to graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists so they may teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year.

Many candidates apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as graduating seniors, though alumni may apply as well. Graduating seniors apply through their institution. Alumni can apply as scholars through their institution or as at-large candidates.

K’s student representatives in 2022-23 and their host countries are Rebecca Chan, Taiwan; Libby Burton and Kiernan Dean-Hall, Germany; and Julia Bienstock, Spain. Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas represents K as a Fulbright Scholar, and Matthew Flotemersch ’20 was accepted into Fulbright’s U.S. Teaching Assistant Program in Austria for 2022-23.

“This distinction reminds us of what intercultural experiences mean to our students and why Kalamazoo College is an exceptional model for learning on a global scale,” Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft said. “We’re extremely proud of all of this year’s Fulbright representatives and our status as international immersion leaders.”

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It is also among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world.

Fulbright awards about 9,000 merit-based scholarships in the United States and more than 160 countries every year to accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields. Fulbrighters study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to complex global challenges. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually.

Rebecca Chan for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Rebecca Chan ’22
Libby Burton '22
Libby Burton ’22

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

“On behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, congratulations to the colleges and universities recognized as 2022-2023 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to all the applicants who were selected for the Fulbright Program this year,” said Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators, and advisors, a new generation of Fulbrighters—changemakers, as I like to say—will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities and around the world.”

Kiernan Dean Hall
Kiernan Dean-Hall ’22
Fulbright Recipient Julia Bienstock 22
Julia Bienstock ’22

Matthew Flotemersch ’20

Alumna Pushes K’s Fulbright Count to Five This Year

Fulbright Recipient Julia Bienstock 22
Julia Bienstock ’22 has earned a place in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as an
English teaching assistant in Madrid, Spain.

Just when it seemed Julia Bienstock ’22 had missed her last chance for a study abroad experience through Kalamazoo College, she has received a great honor in being named a selectee for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

That opportunity means she will serve in an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) at IE University in Madrid, Spain, leading to a dream come true and an academic year abroad.

“It has been a very emotional few months, but I’m so excited to be going to Spain,” Bienstock said. “At K, I critically thought about pedagogy in my academic endeavors and I can’t wait to keep doing that in an international context. Spain has some unique festivals and traditions throughout the year that I’m so thrilled to take part in as well.”

Since its inception in 1946, Fulbright has provided more than 380,000 participants with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. The program is funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and managed through the U.S. Department of State. 

Bienstock is joining four other recent K alumni who are among about 1,900 students, artists and young professionals who will represent the U.S. through Fulbright in about 140 countries this year. Chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, participants serve at primary and secondary schools or universities overseas.

Bienstock first desired a study abroad experience in Valparaíso, Chile, but a political revolution there forced the program’s cancellation just before her junior year, which is when most K students go overseas. Cáceres, Spain, was her second choice, although COVID-19 stifled that opportunity.

With dwindling optimism, a Fulbright scholarship seemed to be her last chance, and initially, she was named an alternate to the program. In other words, she was not among the initial selectees and she would have to wait to see whether an opportunity opened.

“My recommenders and peers were confident that I was going to Madrid, which boosted my ego before I received the news that suggested otherwise,” Bienstock said. “I tried to remind myself that there were only four spots at the IE, and getting alternate status was something that I should take pride in.”

Months passed by and Bienstock tried to forget about her status, even though she still wasn’t necessarily rejected.

Then, Bienstock received an unexpected email from Fulbright last month. The email contained word that an opportunity had opened and it was hers if she wanted it. She initially considered not going because she had recently accepted a job as a paralegal in Detroit, where she also used her Spanish skills. Yet ultimately, Bienstock decided she needed to make the best choice for herself.

“I realized that I had to take advantage of the opportunity because I didn’t know the next time I would get an offer to do something like this,” Bienstock said. “I couldn’t give up my dream for somebody else, so I happily replied to the email and accepted the Fulbright. The next day, I found out that I got placed at the IE University in Madrid, and I knew I had made the right decision.”

Her employer proved to be supportive.

“People congratulated me and understood that I needed to take this opportunity,” Bienstock said. “I didn’t tell them that I was an alternate when I got hired, but they were very kind about the sudden change of plans. Since they were familiar with the program, they were compassionate and realized that this was necessary.”

And now, Bienstock is focused on the students she will help abroad.

“When I was at K, I loved learning from other students about their classes,” she said. “I look forward to learning from IE students about their classes, too. IE has students from all over the world and I look forward to learning about their writing styles from their perspectives.”

From K to Kenya: Three Unite 8,000 Miles Away at UNICEF

Three K Alumnae at in front of a UNICEF poster in Kenya
Annika Rigole ’04, visiting international program alumna Sharon Musee and Paloma Clohossey
‘11 are three with Kalamazoo College connections who all work about 8,000 miles from campus
at UNICEF in Kenya.

At Kalamazoo College, international immersion and study abroad offers students opportunities to delve deep into other cultures. Along the way, they develop knowledge and skills that parlay into future careers and often form meaningful personal relationships with others around the world.

Such is the case for Paloma Clohossey ‘11, visiting international program alumna Sharon Musee and Annika Rigole ’04. Although each of them had a distinctive road in finding their way to Kalamazoo College, all three have succeeded in journeys that have taken them professionally to UNICEF in Kenya. It might seem amazing that three alumnae from a small liberal arts and sciences institution such as K all ended up at the same employer nearly 8,000 miles away. However, it makes sense that UNICEF is a desirable destination when one considers the College’s connections with foreign study and service learning.

UNICEF, originally called the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in full, is now the United Nations Children’s Fund, an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

The organization was established in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II to help children and young people whose lives were at risk no matter what role their country had played in the war. In cooperation with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and others, UNICEF works to advance and protect children’s rights while providing health care, immunizations, nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation services, education, protection and emergency relief.

‘You’re the Best Female Student in Your Class’

Of the three with K connections, Musee is the only one originally from Kenya. She first attended the University of Nairobi when she began her higher education pursuits, a time that revealed her limited world experience, she said. She didn’t know there was such a thing as an exchange program that would allow her to study in the United States until she got a call from the university’s Registrar’s Office, requesting an appointment.

Musee was apprehensive about the meeting, yet her fears were soon quelled.

“It was within walking distance, so I walked over and they said, ‘do you know why we called you here?’” Musee said. “I said, ‘no, what did I do?’ They said, ‘Yes, you’ve done things, but they’re why we think you’re the best female student in your class.’”

Her recognition as an accomplished student meant Musee was empowered to attend college in the U.S. through an exchange program, and as luck would have it, the program brought her to K.

“I say it was lucky because it wasn’t something I was working for,” she said. “I was working hard to get good grades, but I was not expecting to go to K.”

Today, Musee is a partnerships and resources mobilizations officer who supports UNICEF in cultivating new public partnerships and managing its existing public partnerships.

“Being at K exposed me to a lot to multicultural settings, so I was meeting people that don’t have the same background as I do,” Musee said. “When I left K, I went back to the University of Nairobi, I graduated, and almost immediately got a job in the public sector. I kept traveling in the region. It was very easy for me to fit in if I went into Somalia or into South Sudan. If I went to speak to donors who would be people of a different race or a different culture of a different color, I would say it was very natural for me to fit in as opposed to before K. It came naturally for me as a result of K.”

‘They Immediately Bought My Plane Ticket for Me to Go Visit’

Clohossey, an English and psychology double major from California, first learned of K when her parents read about it in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and encouraged her to visit as a result.

“When I say encouraged, I mean they immediately bought my plane ticket for me to go visit and I’m grateful to this day for all their support,” Clohossey said. “I thought there was no way I would go to college at a place called Kalamazoo. But as soon as I stepped foot on the campus, I remember having an intuitive feeling that it was going to be the place for me.”

Clohossey chose to study abroad in Africa and selected Kenya through a process of elimination. Her study abroad cohort’s visit at the University of Nairobi turned out to be when she would meet Musee—before Musee had ever arrived at K.

When Musee’s life path did curve toward K, the two became friends and they participated together in College Singers. In fact, Clohossey said their relationship makes them feel more like sisters and Musee agreed.

“We share a lot,” Musee said. “We go for random lunches. I know that if I need something quickly, I can reach out to Paloma offline—outside of the office or within the office—and I know that she’s got me. This is the sisterhood I feel knowing that we went to K.”

Clohossey says she splits her time between supporting regional program planning and regional knowledge management efforts for UNICEF.

“These functions involve things like supporting UNICEF’s annual work planning, monitoring and reporting, as well as ensuring that UNICEF is capturing, documenting, organizing and using knowledge to ensure we’re as effective as we can be as we pursue our goal of achieving results for children and protecting their rights,” Clohossey said.

The connections she has with colleagues like Musee is a big part of what makes the job special.

“Meeting again was like going back 10 years,” Clohossey said. “We were super happy to see each other.”

‘K Is Such a Special Place’

After her years as a mathematics and economics and business double major at K, Rigole—originally from Belgium and a Michigander since age 10—served in AmeriCorps where she helped nonprofits and government agencies in the southeastern U.S. alongside a team of about 10 people.

In starting her career, she embraced a passion for nurturing education. Through work with an international educational exchange organization, then grad school at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and subsequent work with NGOs in Malawi and Zambia, she helped improve access to quality education and skill-building opportunities, particularly for young girls.

“Education has always meant so much to me because I love learning and it has been so formative in my life,” Rigole said. “It was important to me that I could help others have similar opportunities.”

When she looked for a career shift toward the end of her time in Zambia, she found UNICEF. Rigole worked with UNICEF in New York for two years as a consultant strengthening monitoring, evaluation and research in education before applying for her position at the regional office in Kenya.

“As a regional office, we provide technical support to our country offices,” Rigole said. “In particular, I focus on strengthening data systems within education, and the use of data to inform decision making. It’s about having data and research speak to policy, for example so governments can better understand the differences between districts or provinces and how they’re doing in terms of equity and quality, or can learn from how some schools perform better than others.”

Rigole didn’t know Clohossey or Musee when she started at UNICEF, but that changed at a July 4 holiday barbecue.

“I didn’t know that many people yet, but I’d been invited by another colleague of ours,” Rigole said. “I was introduced to Paloma and she said she was from California. I said I was from Michigan. She said, ‘Oh, I went to college in Michigan.’ I said, ‘Oh, cool! Where?’ She said, ‘It’s a small liberal arts school.’ I said, ‘What’s the name?’ She said, ‘Kalamazoo College.’ I said, ‘I went to Kalamazoo College!’”

Rigole doesn’t work with Musee very often, although Clohossey has introduced them since. However, working with Clohossey has been special for Rigole since the moment they met.

“Immediately it felt good to have something in common with her,” Rigole said. “It’s not quite like family, but it gives you this bond because K is such a special place and shared experience.”

New Fellowship Provides Post-Grad Opportunity Abroad for K Students

Bob Sherbin establishing fellowship abroad
Robert Sherbin ’79

A generous leadership gift from Kalamazoo College alumnus Robert Sherbin ’79 will open the door to independent exploration outside the United States for Kalamazoo College graduates.

Sherbin has established the Jerry Sherbin Fellowship, named in honor of his father, which each year will provide one K senior with a stipend to pursue an academic year post-graduation, independently exploring a subject of deep personal interest outside the United States. Applicants will be assessed based on their proposal’s creativity and personal significance, their passion for the subject, and how the work may shape their future plans. The first fellowship abroad will be awarded in spring 2023.

“The College’s K-Plan emphasizes international study and engagement, so this fellowship wonderfully complements a student’s K education,” said Provost Danette Ifert Johnson. “It provides yet another avenue for students to pursue a project of personal interest in a deep and meaningful way prior to starting their graduate study or career. We are grateful to Bob for creating this opportunity for current and future generations of students.”

While an English major at K, Sherbin studied abroad at the University of Nairobi, one of only six American undergrads—and the only K student—there at that time. As a senior, Sherbin applied for a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, an external grant through the Watson Foundation that provides the opportunity to design and execute a one-year project overseas. Before attending graduate school at Northwestern, Sherbin spent a year in Central and West Africa as a Watson Fellow, conducting a sociological study of long-distance truck drivers. This opportunity was transformative, helping guide Sherbin’s path to becoming an international journalist and later, a global corporate communications executive. Today he is the vice president of corporate communications at NVIDIA, a technology company based in Silicon Valley.

Sherbin said, “The Watson Fellowship was the most formative experience of my life. I’d not taken an intro to sociology class. My French was appalling. And I didn’t know a soul within thousands of miles, when aerograms were the WhatsApp of the age. But K had given me the tools to learn and sparked my passion to figure out the rest. It’s my hope that this fellowship will enable students to widen their perspectives, taking them from Dewaters to Danang, from the Upjohn Library steps to the Russian steppes and beyond, and discover ways to make a difference before they head into the rest of their lives.”

Fulbright Selects Four K Reps for U.S. Student Program

Rebecca Chan for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Rebecca Chan ’22 will spend a year in Taiwan
through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Four recent alumni of Kalamazoo College are receiving one of the highest honors the federal government provides in regard to scholarship and international exchange, as selectees for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Rebecca Chan ’22, Libby Burton ’22, Matthew Flotemersch ’20 and Kiernan Dean-Hall ’22 are among about 1,900 students, artists and young professionals who will represent the U.S. in about 140 countries for one academic year.

Chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, students and recent alumni participate in the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program, which places English-teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools or universities overseas.

Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas will also represent K through Fulbright this year, as a U.S. Scholar Program selectee in Argentina.

Since its inception in 1946, Fulbright has provided more than 380,000 participants with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. The program is funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and managed through the U.S. Department of State.

Libby Burton for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Libby Burton ’22 will return to Germany
for one academic year through the
Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

K consistently has been identified in recent years as one of the country’s top-producing Fulbright small colleges. Here’s what K’s representatives plan to do abroad.

Rebecca Chan ’22

Chan, a theatre arts major at K, finished her degree requirements in winter 2022, allowing her to study abroad in Strabourg, France, this spring. As a Fulbright scholar, she will visit Taiwan.

“I was interested in Taiwan specifically because my paternal grandfather spent some years on the island as he left mainland China in the 1940s and later came to America,” Chan said. “Some of his siblings stayed in Taiwan and raised their families there, so at every family reunion, we discuss Taiwanese history, culture and politics. I’m interested in experiencing Taiwan for myself and connecting with my East Asian heritage.”

Chan will make her language skills her primary focus while she’s overseas.

“I took two years of Mandarin Chinese at K, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to use that language abroad,” she said. “I’d also like to better understand Taiwan’s complex history of colonization by various European and Asian nations. Because of my family’s history, I have received only a very one-sided account of the relationship between Taiwan and China and the debate over Taiwanese independence. Being there, talking to locals, and working in the schools will give me a much richer understanding of Taiwanese identity.”

Matthew Flotemersch ’20 has earned a Fulbright for a
second time. He will spend the upcoming academic year in Innsbruck, Austria.

Libby Burton ’22

Burton participated in study abroad as a senior in Erlangen, Germany, and will return to Germany as a Fulbright scholar, seeking an opportunity share her knowledge of philosophy and the humanities.

“The Fulbright will be a wonderful way for me to gain experience in the field and prepare me for graduate programs,” Burton said. “I also have a particular interest in German philosophy, so studying German has helped my understanding of the books I read. The program makes sense for me because I can practice German, deepen my understanding in my fields of interest, and gain experience as an educator.”

Matthew Flotemersch ’20

Flotemersch, a German major and philosophy minor at K, had a formative year of study abroad in Erlangen, Germany, in 2019 and was accepted into Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant program in Hamburg, Germany, in 2020.

Kiernan Dean Hall
Kiernan Dean-Hall ’22 will spend a year
in Germany on a Fulbright in the English
Teaching Assistantship program.

The Hamburg program was pushed back a year because of COVID-19, yet still provided a positive experience he finished this spring, leading to yet another opportunity as he will represent the U.S. this year in Innsbruck, Austria.

Flotemersch said he hopes to adjust to regional dialects, explore the country by train, ski and settle on a graduate program he will begin in 2023 while he’s in Austria.

Kiernan Dean-Hall ’22

Dean-Hall—a chemistry and German major, and physics and philosophy minor with a concentration in film and media studies—was among the K seniors who studied abroad in Erlangen, Germany, for the fall 2021 and winter 2022 terms. He will return to Germany on a Fulbright in the English Teaching Assistantship program.

“I sought a Fulbright because it sounded interesting, and like a good opportunity to broaden my horizons,” Dean-Hall said. “I expect to benefit from the lived experience of cultural exchange.”

Study Abroad Scholarships, Staff at K Spark Opportunities

Asia Bennett Enables Affordable Study Abroad
Asia Bennett, a study abroad and international
student adviser, helps students find affordable
overseas opportunities through study abroad
scholarships.

The number of students with limited financial means taking advantage of study abroad scholarships at Kalamazoo College will surge this fall thanks to a boost from K’s Center for International Programs (CIP) and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

Asia Bennett, a study abroad and international student adviser in the CIP, was among the first higher-education professionals in the country named a Gilman Ambassador through a new program in the 2021-22 academic year. Gilman’s goal with naming ambassadors was to empower a cohort of professionals including Bennett to share best practices in the application process with students for the purpose of increasing participation.

That goal proved to be successful nationally as 200 panelists reviewed nearly 50 applications each, and K students submitted more applications than ever before. In fact, the effort is helping the CIP push the number of Pell-grant eligible K students earning Gilman awards, worth up to $5,000 each, upward from four in the past year to 18 in the coming year. That’s at least nine more than at any other Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) school, according to yet-to-be finalized numbers.

“I think we at K typically have about six Gilman applicants per cycle and maybe two to four recipients, so 18 is definitely a record for us,” Bennett said. “For just a year, I think we’ve been very successful and I’m excited for what next year will bring.”

Eliana Orozco ’24 is among the
Kalamazoo College students receiving
study abroad scholarships this fall.
Garbriel Coleman Study Abroad Scholarships
Study abroad scholarships are helping
underrepresented students such as
Gabriel Coleman ’24 go overseas.

About 33,000 students have received funds through Gilman, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to study abroad or intern overseas since 2001. By awarding funds competitively to students with limited financial means, the Gilman assures that students from traditionally underrepresented groups, such as Gabriel Coleman ’24, will take advantage of opportunities such as K’s long-term liberal arts program in Quito, Ecuador. Students in the Ecuador program enroll in fall courses at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the first private university in that country. The program includes a homestay with a local host family, which allows students to immerse themselves in Spanish-language and Ecuadorean culture, and travel to the Galapagos Islands.

“The opportunity to try something new encouraged me to apply for the Gilman scholarship,” said Coleman, a Spanish major and art minor with a concentration in environmental studies. “I felt that doing this, plus telling others about the follow-up service project, would help me tell others about my overall experience and encourage them to study abroad.”

The students’ application process involves three essays including a personal statement about educational and career goals, a scholarship essay about what they would hope to do as an American citizen abroad, and what they plan to do as a result of their study abroad opportunity when they return. That was undaunting for Eliana Orozco ’24, an anthropology-sociology and French double major and classical civilization minor, who will pursue foreign study in Lyon, France.

“I like to think of it as being similar to the experience of applying to colleges, when we had to write about ourselves,” Orozco said. “I think writing about ourselves is actually a lot easier than we assume it to be. It really didn’t take much time, and once I just sat down and focused on what I wanted to say, it developed pretty easily.”

Should students need other opportunities, Bennett notes that the Gilman scholarship program isn’t the only one available to students looking for study abroad funding. As a result, Bennett wants students—even first-year students—to talk with the CIP early and often.

“Sometimes these opportunities are based on financial need or identity traits,” Bennett said. “Sometimes they’re based on the place where the student is going. We always recommend that students come into the CIP or send us an email, even during the summer, so we can talk about what works best for them.”

K Announces $5 Million Gift to Support Student Access

Bob Kopecky '72
Bob Kopecky ’72

Kalamazoo College has announced a $5 million gift in support of its Brighter Light Campaign from alumnus Robert J. Kopecky ’72.

The gift will establish the Ervin J. and Violet A. Kopecky Endowed Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Kopecky’s parents, and the Robert J. Kopecky ’72 Endowed Study Abroad Fund, as well as support other study abroad funding, current-use scholarships and the Kalamazoo College Fund.

The new funding will support the College’s strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023, by providing need-based scholarships and awards to expand student access to all aspects of a Kalamazoo College education. 

“Through my life after leaving Kalamazoo College, I have had an ever-increasing appreciation for the value of liberal arts education,” said Kopecky. “I wanted to help the College make that educational opportunity available to students with limited economic resources and to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate fully in the study abroad program, which is such an essential part of the K College experience.”

Kopecky graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1972 with a B.A. in physics. While at K he studied abroad for six months in Nairobi, Kenya, where he also had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa—an unforgettable experience for Kopecky. After graduating from K, Kopecky earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Kopecky has spent over 40 years practicing law at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, trying cases in state and federal courts and arguing appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as numerous federal appellate courts and state supreme courts. During his years at Kirkland & Ellis, Bob represented numerous pro bono clients in both criminal and civil matters. He also served for several years on the board of the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, including one year as Chair of the Board. In March 2021, he published his first book, The Season of Living Dangerously: A Fan’s Notes On Baseball’s Strangest Season.

Kopecky has been a longtime supporter of Kalamazoo College, as both a donor to the Center for International Programs and as a recent member of the Board of Trustees, where he currently serves on the Risk Review Committee. His daughter Catherine (Katie) Kopecky is a 2013 graduate of the College.

President Jorge G. Gonzalez noted that endowed funds such as these can open up transformative opportunities for students. “Our goal as an institution is for talented students to be able to choose K regardless of their financial need, and for students to be able to participate fully in all aspects of K’s experiential education,” said Gonzalez. “We could not be more grateful to Bob, whose generous gift will be opening doors for students for generations to come.”

The Brighter Light Campaign is raising $150 million to provide endowed and annual support for students, faculty and staff, curricular and co-curricular activities, athletics and campus facilities. For more information, visit the Brighter Light Campaign page: www.kzoo.edu/brighterlight 

Fulbright Again Honors K as a Top Producer

Logo Says Fulbright Student Program Top Producer 2021-22
K has six representatives from the class of 2021 in the U.S.
Student Program, placing the College among the
top-producing bachelor’s institutions.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced Monday that Kalamazoo College is among the top producers of Fulbright recipients for the 2021-22 academic year.

K has six representatives from the class of 2021 in the U.S. Student Program, leading to the honor for the fourth time in the past five years. K is the only college in Michigan to earn the distinction in the bachelor’s institution category.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships to graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists so they may teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year. Many candidates apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as graduating seniors, though alumni may apply as well. Graduating seniors apply through their institution. Alumni can apply through their institution or as at-large candidates. K has one alumni representative this year from the class of 2013.

K’s representatives in 2021-22 and their host countries are:

  • Helen Pelak ’21, Australia
  • Katherine Miller-Purrenhage ’21, Germany
  • Sophia Goebel ’21, Spain
  • Molly Roberts ’21, France
  • Margaret Totten ’21, Thailand
  • Nina Szalkiewicz ’21, Austria
  • Evelyn Rosero ’13, South Korea
Fulbright recipient Katherine Miller-Purrenhage in Germany
Katherine Miller-Purrenhage studied abroad in Germany and
has returned there on a Fulbright award through the U.S.
Student Program.

“K’s consistent recognition through the renowned Fulbright program confirms that our students have the abilities required to earn these transformational global experiences,” Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft said. “We’re proud of these students and the terrific faculty and staff who enable them to make an impact throughout the world.”

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants, chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English and conduct research abroad each year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 140 countries throughout the world.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, about 4,000 foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research and teach foreign languages.

K Staffer’s Honors Reflect Insight on More-Affordable Study Abroad

Portrait-of-Asia-Bennett-More-Affordable-Study-Abroad
Study abroad and international student adviser Asia Bennett
is an inaugural Gilman Scholarship ambassador, showing she
can help Pell Grant-eligible students make
study abroad more affordable.

If you’re concerned that the cost of study abroad might prevent you from going overseas as an undergraduate, you have an advocate in Kalamazoo College’s Center for International Programs.

As an inaugural Gilman ambassador over the next two years, study abroad and international student adviser Asia Bennett will inform and advise colleagues at U.S. colleges and universities about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. In that role, awarded to her this month, Bennett will share her expertise and best practices across the country, while also continuing to guide students at K in the Gilman application process.

Since 2001, the Gilman scholarship has given more than 33,000 students with limited financial means up to $5,000 to study or intern abroad through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Those students include between three and five K students for each of the past eight years.

“I think serving as an ambassador can help me debunk the idea that studying abroad has to be expensive,” Bennett said. “This is part of what our office does. We can let students know about scholarship opportunities so study abroad can be more affordable.”

By awarding funds competitively to students with limited financial means, the Gilman program assures that students from traditionally underrepresented groups will participate in study abroad opportunities. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, undergraduate students in good standing at their institutions and federal Pell Grant recipients.

By going abroad, Gilman recipients develop skills critical to national security and economic prosperity.

“I think a lot of our students count themselves out,” Bennett said. “They see the Gilman Award is a big national scholarship. They might think it’s not for them because it’s too competitive. I can help students see that they too can apply. I hope to be that voice and that face of the Gilman here on campus so students are more eager to apply.”

Students interested in applying for the Gilman International Scholarship can contact Bennett for application coaching, essay tips and more information at Asia.Bennett@kzoo.edu.