The Fulbright US Student Program has been the government's flagship international exchange program for young professionals, graduate students, and graduating college seniors since 1946. It was established in the aftermath of WWII to promote cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.
Each year, the US Congress appropriates funds to the Department of State to support Fulbright students, teachers, scholars, artists, and professionals. Additionally, foreign governments, universities, NGOs, private organizations, corporations, and individuals contribute funding.
Bowdoin has been recognized by the State Department for its high number of seniors and graduates who receive the prestigious and competitive fellowship each year.
Charlie Allen ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Czechia
After graduating with a double major in classical studies and history, Allen will work as an English teaching assistant in a Czech secondary school. As a college student, Allen has taught art, woodworking, philosophy, and history during summer breaks, including with Upward Bound. He said he's excited to live and teach abroad, and to inspire connections across borders. He wants to pursue a teaching or coaching career.
Samuel Berets ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Taiwan
An earth and oceanographic science and Asian studies major, Berets will teach in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. His said his experiences as a trail crew leader, learning assistant at Bowdoin, and Nordic coach have led to a passion for teaching. In Japan, he's eager to strengthen his Japanese and share his love for swing dance, geology, and climbing. Following his Fulbright year, Berets will pursue a career in education, international relations, or law.
Elisabeth “Ellie” Chan ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Mongolia
Chan, a biochemistry major and visual arts minor, will teach English in Mongolia. At Bowdoin, she served as lead writing assistant, outing club leader, and board member of two pre-health organizations. She said she developed a love of research at Bowdoin and, following her Fulbright year, will continue her studies in a master’s program in oral health sciences at the University of Michigan. Chan plans to pursue dentistry and use her cross-cultural experiences to deliver culturally informed, patient-centered care to address oral health disparities.
Tej Dhingra ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Vietnam
Att Bowdoin, Dhingra, an economics and math major, merged his interests in education and business as an afterschool teacher at Bath Middle School, student leader of Bowdoin’s consulting group, and part-time employee at several venture-backed startups. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Dhingra said he was drawn to Vietnam’s growing business landscape. After his Fulbright year, he will join Bain & Company and later pursue a graduate degree in business.
John Erlandson ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Taiwan
Erlandson will teach in New Taipei City. At Bowdoin, he majored in biology and minored in Mandarin Chinese, while also taking English and creative writing classes. He led the Bowdoin Longfellows and Bowdoin Improvabilities, and he co-hosted a radio talk show and wrote an opinion column in The Orient, both focused on the natural world. He wants to engage with Taiwan’s biodiversity and methods of storytelling to inform his work as an ecological storyteller.
Jennifer Ferry ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Spain
Ferry, a psychology major and philosophy minor, will teach English in rural Asturias. At Bowdoin, she researched emotional care and play-based learning while working at the Children’s Center. As a college teaching assistant, she deepened her commitment to inclusive, creative classrooms. From her experiences with Bear Buddies and years of youth volunteer coaching, she said she understands that joy and silliness are essential for education.
Gabriel Gitter-Dentz ’25, Study/Research Award, Poland
An earth and oceanographic science major and chemistry minor, Gitter-Dentz will contribute to geochronology research at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. He plans to research the geologic history of the Köli Nappe Complex and eventually pursue a career in Earth history. At Bowdoin, he was a co-president of Hillel and co-captain of the club basketball team. In Poland, he plans to get involved with the Kraków Jewish Community Center and youth basketball camps, and learn more about Poland's geology via hiking.
Siena Harrigan ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, France
Harrigan, an education and Romance language major, will teach next year in Paris. Via the Bowdoin Teacher Scholar program, she's certified to teach K-12 French. She discovered her love of teaching while working as an Upward Bound guide, a French and Italian learning assistant at Bowdoin, and a teacher of music in The Gambia, in West Africa.
Jackie Miller ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Spain
Miller will teach English in the Canary Islands. At Bowdoin, she majored in Romance languages and gender, women, and sexuality studies, captained the women's ice hockey team, led surfing trips, and worked for Student Leadership Department. She said her love for learning languages and experiential education has fueled her interest in cross-cultural pedagogy. She said that in Spain, she’s “excited to build meaningful relationships both inside and outside the classroom, and spend lots of time surfing!“
Emma Olney ’25, Study/Research Award, Denmark and Greenland
Olney will spend half the year at Aarhus University in Denmark and the other half in Nuuk, Greenland. An environmental studies and government double major and biology minor, Olney has pursued research on Kent Island and in Québec fjord ecosystems, as well as collected oral histories of Maine fishermen. After her Fulbright year, she'll pursue a master's degree in polar studies to “facilitate the co-production of Arctic knowledge with indigenous communities through inclusive research.”
Owen Ratliff ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Taiwan
After studying abroad in Taipei, Ratliff said he fell in love with the country and is excited to embed himself in a local Taiwanese community. He is graduating as an Asian studies and environmental studies major with a minor in history. Outside of the classroom, Ratliff was a sprinter on the track team, a learning assistant for Mandarin Chinese, and a member of Howell House.
Sebastian Sanchez ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Taiwan
Sanchez, a computer science major, will teach English in Changhua. He previously worked in an English classroom while studying abroad in Kyoto, Japan. A second-generation Chinese immigrant, he said he's excited to promote cultural exchange between the US and East Asia, become more fluent in Mandarin, and learn about Taiwan's “world-class transportation systems.” In the future, he wants to pursue a career in transportation.
Arlenys Soler ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, Spain
After graduating from Bowdoin with a double major in history and Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, Soler will teach English in the Canary Islands. At Bowdoin, she was actively involved in community engagement, including as a program coordinator for the McKeen Center and a proctor with Residential Life. She said she hopes her Fulbright experience will strengthen the skills she plans to carry into a future career as a lawyer.
Jiahn Son ’25, English Teaching Assistant Award, South Korea
At Bowdoin, Son majored in English and history and worked as a writing assistant, senior admissions interviewer, and McKeen Center program coordinator. She also served as a Maine Community Fellow at Preble Street, in Portland, Maine, which serves people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty. These experiences, she said, increased her interest in fostering empathy and inclusion across communities and cultures. Upon returning to the US, she plans to pursue a career in public policy and service.
Shea Sullivan ’24, English Teaching Assistant Award, Morocco
After Sullivan graduated with a major in Francophone studies and a minor in Africana studies, she spent a year in Lyon, France, teaching English in elementary schools through the Teaching Assistant Program in France. This coming year, she will teach English at the university level in Morocco. At Bowdoin, she volunteered with Multilingual Mainers and played on the softball team. After her Fulbright year, she plans to pursue education or medicine to support Maine's refugee and immigrant population.
