2026 University of Minnesota Fulbright Award recipients prepare for their next adventure in learning

Eight recent University of Minnesota graduates are heading overseas to advance their careers in teaching and research, thanks to grants from the Fulbright U. S. Student Program.

The Fulbright Program was created and funded by Congress in 1946 to promote international good will through the exchange of students and scholars in all areas of education, culture and science.  Through the U.S. Student Program, students and alumni may apply to carry out independent research projects, teach English or engage in post-graduate degree studies. The program awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study and in more than 140 countries worldwide. Since the program began, 479 University of Minnesota students and graduates have received the Fulbright U.S. Student award.

University of Minnesota 2026 Fulbright U.S. Student award recipients

Avery Hink majored in French and Political Science and graduated in May 2025. She will spend next year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Belgium. The Middleton, Wisconsin native often made summer visits to Door County, a center of Belgian immigration in the 19th century. The story of the settlers from Wallonia ignited an interest in language, history and identity that she pursued through French language studies and her majors in college. While studying abroad in Montpellier, France, she carried out a research project on how the language of the French Constitution impacted democratic development in former French colonies. Avery developed her teaching skills as a swimming instructor and interned as a teaching assistant in a French school while studying abroad. An avid runner, Avery likes to explore new geography through running and plans to join a club in Belgium to connect with local athletes. In the future she plans to complete a law degree and focus on human rights law, which she hopes will eventually take her back to Brussels to work in international affairs.

Honors graduate Bella Minahan has been offered a Fulbright award to support a year of teaching in Argentina. The Spanish and Global Studies major from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin graduated in 2025 and has been working as a research assistant with the Human Rights Program at the University collecting and preserving oral histories. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship will build on her experience with language instruction, which includes organizing Spanish conversation groups and tutoring for citizenship exams. It will also offer Bella the opportunity to participate in Argentine initiatives to record memories, such as the Asociación de Historia Oral, and she hopes to have the chance to pursue her interest in open water swimming. After her year abroad, Bella plans to continue her studies in public policy or development.

Honors graduate Nivedha Ramaswamy has been offered a Fulbright award to conduct research next year in South Korea. She completed both a BS degree in Genetics and Cell Biology and a BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies with a concentration in Korean in May. Ultimately she plans to complete an MD/PhD program and engage in a career of medical research. In Korea she will work with Professor Young-Gyun Park in the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to employ 3D brain imaging technologies to study the impact of chronic stress on the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. The research will build on her experience with computational modeling, wet-lab imaging, and in-vivo stress models working with Professor Alessandro Bartolomucci at the University of Minnesota. Nivedha is also an accomplished musician, playing both classical and traditional Indian violin. For her capstone project in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, she investigated different traditional Korean musical forms, and she hopes to participate in educational and performance opportunities in Korea.

Spring 2026 Honors graduate Bernadette Recheck has been offered a Fulbright award to teach English in the Slovak Republic next year. The English and Developmental Psychology major from Altoona, Wisconsin, plans to become a teacher and educational policy advocate. She has taught ballet, volunteered as a literacy tutor, worked as a teaching assistant and helped to design and execute the first-year experience for students in the College of Liberal Arts. On campus she founded and directed the Minnesota Shakespeare Society, and she was a fellow at the Hertog Foundation’s humanities program. In her final year of high school, Bernadette danced with Ballet Chicago’s studio company, and she has choreographed and performed with the Dance Collective on campus. Drawing on her background in literature and dance, she plans to build relationships and learn about local history and cultural traditions in the Slovak Republic.

Fall 2024 graduate Jessica Schonhoff has been offered a Fulbright award to support graduate studies in communications at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland for the coming year. The Strategic Communications major from Fargo has a long record of engagement with initiatives in both mental wellbeing and the environment. In high school she worked with Philanthropy and Youth, securing over $150,000 in grants to create resources for emotional health in rural North Dakota schools. On campus she has conducted research with Hubbard School professor Benjamin Toff on public trust in news sources, and she held media strategy and production internships at River Keepers and other organizations. At LUT Jessica plans to continue her studies of digital media with the Disinformation, Propaganda & Soft Power Research Lab and learn how Finland has been particularly effective at developing critical media literacy skills among its young people.

Spring 2026 Honors graduate Gurasis Singh has been offered a Fulbright Award to teach English in Indonesia next year. The Political Science and Entrepreneurial Management major from Rochester looks forward to helping Indonesian school children develop English skills through debate and storytelling while learning himself from Indonesian initiatives in education. A Truman Scholarship nominee last year, Gurasis has a substantial record of public engagement with education, including an Ignite fellowship with Teach for America and internships in curriculum design with Rochester Public Schools and educational policy analysis with K12 Coalition. He has also developed an AI-assisted educational platform, Echo Learn, that provides direct active learning support to students. In the future he plans to complete further studies in educational policy and work to make active and individualized learning practices available in under-resourced schools.

Honors graduate Dylan Stage from Moorhead will spend the 2026-27 academic year teaching English in Türkiye with a Fulbright award. In addition to his Political Science, Economics and Spanish majors, he completed the Community Engaged Scholars Program, dedicating time to youth development with 4H, court monitoring with the Advocates for Human Rights, and offering citizenship tutoring with the Latino Youth Development Collaborative, as well as interning with government offices. After graduation, Dylan spent two years in Mexico assisting English instruction at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo as a Peace Corps volunteer, and during the past year he has worked as a Career Resources Fellow in Rwamagana, Rawanda, helping high schoolers develop speech and debate skills. After stretching his global experience further in Türkiye, he plans to complete a law degree and work as an attorney-advisor in the State Department.

Catherine Van Wey graduated this spring from the University of Minnesota Morris with degrees in English and Spanish. She received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award and will spend nine months in Calahorra, Spain, where she will work alongside local English teachers at the high school level. As an English Teaching Assistant, Catherine will support students in developing their English language skills while participating in community activities and serving as a cultural ambassador for the United States. After completing her Fulbright grant, she plans to pursue a master's degree and is considering programs in education or journalism.

Two recent graduates, Sydney Amundson and Adna Hassan, have been named as alternates for English Teaching assistantships in South Korea and Jordan respectively and may still receive award offers if circumstances change.

Current undergraduates and recent graduates who are interested in applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program should contact Timothy Jones or Ja’de Lin Till in the Office of National and International Scholarships, [email protected] or 612-624-5522. Graduate students should contact the Graduate Fellowships Office, [email protected].