Four UTEP Graduates Selected for Prestigious Fulbright Program
EL PASO, Texas (May 29, 2024) – Four recent graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso have been chosen to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Known as one of the most prestigious international exchange programs in the world, UTEP’s Fulbright Scholars will have the opportunity to conduct research, study and teach abroad in Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan and Spain.
The selected UTEP graduates will each spend one year overseas.
"The Fulbright is an exceptional opportunity for UTEP graduates to serve abroad at the beginning of their professional lives,” said Heather Wilson, president of UTEP. “This is a great opportunity for our scholars to impact the world and it’s an honor for UTEP to have so many highly qualified students applying."
This year, UTEP had 23 applicants for the Fulbright program. Out of these applicants, eight were selected as semi-finalists, and four were ultimately chosen as awardees.
“The Fulbright is one of the most prestigious exchange programs in the world. As such, it can be daunting for students to even consider applying,” Jennifer Green, director of UTEP’s Office of Student Fellowships and Awards, said. “But the fact that this year we had 23 Miners, again, who decided to go for it is more evidence of the high-quality preparation they received here at UTEP, and it is something in which everyone here at the University can take pride.”
The four UTEP graduates selected for the 2024 Fulbright Awards are:
- Melanie Escobar is a recent recipient of a master’s degree in Latin American and Border Studies who will be an English Teaching Assistant in Brazil. Upon her return to the U.S., Escobar plans to pursue a Ph.D. program focused on building binational collaboration with Latin America and hopes to work as a geographic information systems analyst or a professor for conservation work.
- Andrea Michelle Núñez, who recently earned a master's degree in linguistics, will serve as an English teaching assistant in Argentina. Núñez intends to apply for a Ph.D. program in linguistics upon her return to the U.S., with a particular interest in phonetics and sociolinguistics.
- Elena Reyna also received her master’s degree in linguistics in May. The native of Flower Mound, Texas, a small community near Fort Worth, is UTEP’s first recipient of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to Spain. After her Fulbright year ends, Reyna plans to pursue a career as a foreign service officer with the Department of State or with the FBI as a special agent.
- Ashley Delgado, a graduate with a double major in Communication Studies and Chicano Studies, will be an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan. Delgado plans to teach English to high school students and serve the community's needs. After her year in Taiwan, she intends to pursue a master's degree in public service at the Clinton School of Public Service.
The Fulbright Student Program provides round-trip travel to the host country, a monthly stipend, and health benefits.
The Office of Student Fellowships and Awards at UTEP provided comprehensive guidance to the Fulbright scholars throughout the application process. The office's mission is to inform UTEP students and recent alumni about nationally competitive scholarships and provide support as they prepare their application materials.
More information on the services provided by the fellowships office is available at https://www.utep.edu/student-affairs/student-fellowships-awards/
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on May 30, 2024 at 12:00 AM | Originally published May 30, 2024
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
