Twelve Grads, Ten Countries, One Year of Teaching or Researching Abroad
By Rebecca GoldfineA Far-Flung Cohort
Twelve Bowdoin seniors and alumni have accepted Fulbright awards for 2026–27, joining one of the world’s most competitive international exchange programs. The Fulbright US Student Program supports cultural exchange and international collaboration through English teaching assistantships, graduate study, and independent research abroad.
In addition to these twelve, five other students are currently alternates, two students declined offered Fulbright grants, and one student is still deciding whether to accept the award.
Nine of the fellows will be English teaching assistants; three have study/research awards. Recipients will live in ten countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, working on projects that include designing a GeoAI forestry tool kit, calibrating a muon detector for hurricane imaging, and teaching in classrooms around the world.
The College's sustained presence on the Fulbright Program’s annual top producers list reflects the in-depth support and advising offered to each applicant by the Student Fellowships and Research office, and a student body whose interests cross borders, languages, and disciplines.
Katherine Cheston ’25
Cheston wants to pair her teacher-practicum training and Spanish/social studies certifications in a bilingual school, to incorporate her knowledge of US social and political history into class.
Majors: Education Latin American Studies
Minor: History
Adam Ewing ’26
Ewing intends to support Ugandan students in gaining mastery of English while learning Swahili and “exploring spirituality in an energetically religious country.”
Majors: Government Francophone Studies
Lily Janas ’26
Janas will connect with people through language, sports, and music, preparing her to advocate more effectively for immigrant communities when she returns home.
Majors: Psychology Hispanic Studies
Maya Le ’25
Le will lead a “fairy tale exchange” with a Czech library, drawing on her background studying literature, most recently at University of Cambridge.
Major: English
Minor: Dance
Eli Mears ’26
Mears plans to connect English learning with educational opportunities, transit, music, running, and local community life, as well as improve his Korean.
Majors: Environmental Studies Biology
Alexander Ordentlich ’26
Ordentlich will work with a new 3D muon detector at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics to map the internal pressure of hurricanes—and potentially better forecast storm intensity.
Kyle Pellerin ’26
Pellerin will design virtual tools to help Slovenian foresters analyze parcel data, bark beetle damage, and storm damage.
Chloë Sheahan ’26
Sheahan will examine how Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine reshaped German energy policy and energy security strategy.
Majors: Government Environmental Studies
Minor: German
Logan Smith ’26
Smith will share Appalachian traditions while studying Kazakh and Russophone music, popular culture, and post-Soviet media.
Majors: Russian Government
Minor: German
Anna Tran ’26
Tran will bring cross-cultural teaching experience, Vietnamese heritage, and anthropological insight into the classroom.
Majors: Anthropology Biochemistry
Minor: Asian Studies
Will Tran ’26
Tran plans to draw on his Model UN leadership and public speaking experience while connecting with his Vietnamese heritage.
Majors: Government History
Minor: Anthropology
Benjamin Weintraub ’26
Weintraub hopes to strengthen German-Jewish-American connections and engage across age groups.
Major: Earth and Oceanographic Science
Minor: German