Baylor Students, Alumni Shatter Fulbright Record
A record-shattering 24 students and recent alumni will study, conduct research & teach English abroad as part of the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program
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Already recognized among the nation’s best as Fulbright Top Producing Institution, Baylor University’s success for highly competitive fellowships and awards continues to skyrocket as a record 24 Baylor University students and recent alumni have been selected for 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. Since 2001, more than 130 Baylor students and alumni have received the Fulbright, which is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program that allows recipients to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English in over 140 countries.
For three consecutive Fulbright cycles, Baylor has been recognized as a Fulbright Top Producer, distinguishing the University for valuing global connection and supporting members of the Baylor community to pursue international opportunities. This past year, Baylor elevated into the Top 20 nationally, joining such institutions as Brown, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Stanford and more in producing the most Fulbright recipients. In Texas, Baylor soared to No. 1 in the state for Fulbrights.
This year, Baylor’s 24 Fulbright recipients were selected for 18 English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Awards to help teach English language in classrooms while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S., and six Study/Research Awards for students to design their own projects while working alongside advisers at universities or other institutes of higher education.
“Baylor’s meteoric rise in Fulbright success over the last few years is a sign... that Baylor truly is a university Pro Mundo, for the world.”- Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D.
“Baylor’s meteoric rise in Fulbright success over the last few years is a sign, foremost, that our mission to prepare students for worldwide leadership and service is succeeding, that Baylor truly is a university Pro Mundo, for the world,” said Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D., associate dean for engaged learning at Baylor. “Because this is the U.S. government’s flagship educational exchange, these winners have really accomplished something important, and we are proud of the good they will do over the coming year abroad.”
Baylor’s 2025 Fulbright Recipients
Shelby Barnes, senior Biochemistry and German major (College of Arts & Sciences) from Peoria, Arizona: English Teaching Assistant award to Germany |
Devon Bolton, B.A’ 24 (International Studies and Arabic, College of Arts & Sciences) from Prosper, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to Morocco |
Connor Cabot, senior English, Teaching and Spanish major (College of Arts & Sciences and School of Education) from Wake Forest, North Carolina: English Teaching Assistant award to Uruguay |
Sarah Chan, senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major (Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences) and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (Honors College) from Houston: English Teaching Assistant award to Laos |
Maggie Cielesz, senior Political Science and Philosophy major (College of Arts & Sciences), Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program (Honors College) from Rockford, Illinois: English Teaching Assistant award to Poland |
Annalise Cornett, senior Elementary Education major, Educational Psychology minor (School of Education) from Annandale, Virginia: English Teaching Assistant award to Spain |
John Austin DeLozier, senior University Scholar and Honors Program (Honors College) from Orange County, California: English Teaching Assistant award to South Korea |
Lily Dickenson, a senior History and Political Science major (College of Arts & Sciences) from Eureka, Missouri: English Teaching Assistant award to Turkey |
Eliana Galan, B.A. ’24 (Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences) from Buda, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to the Czech Republic |
Simone Henry, senior Neuroscience major (College of Arts & Sciences) Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program (Honors College) from Katy, Texas: Taiwan Study/Research Award |
Jake Hill, senior Anthropology and Religion major (College of Arts & Sciences) and Honors Program (Honors College) from Weatherford, Texas: Israel Study/Research Award |
Mayra Honda-Shimabukuro, senior Public Health major (Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences) from Ewa Beach, Hawaii: English Teaching Assistant award to Timor-Leste |
Tori Jones, senior International Studies major (College of Arts & Sciences), Honors Program (Honors College) from San Antonio: English Teaching Assistant award to Taiwan |
Haley McAveney, senior International Studies and Spanish major (College of Arts & Sciences), Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program (Honors College) from Santa Ana, California: English Teaching Assistant award to Mexico |
Kristen Nakamura, senior University Scholar (English and Mathematics) and Honors Program (Honors College) from Richland, Washington: English Teaching Assistant award to Indonesia |
Allie North, senior Science Research Fellow (Geophysics and Planetary Science, College of Arts & Sciences) from Waco, Texas: Germany Study/Research Award |
Kathleen Quinn, senior Neuroscience major (College of Arts & Sciences), Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program (Honors College) from Portsmouth, Rhode Island: Ireland RCSI PhD |
Karly Shepherd, senior University Scholar, Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program (Honors College) from Glendora, California: English Teaching Assistant award to Taiwan |
Elizabeth Siatkowski, senior University Scholar (Spanish) and Honors Program (Honors College) from Oklahoma City: English Teaching Assistant award to Argentina |
Sacha Sims, senior Biology major (College of Arts & Sciences) and Honors Program (Honors College) from Atlanta: UK Royal Veterinary College Award |
Dayna Smith, senior University Scholar (German) and Honors Program (Honors College) from Rockwall, Texas: Austria Study/Research Award |
Ava Watson, senior Biology major (College of Arts & Sciences) from Huntsville, Alabama: English Teaching Assistant award to Montenegro |
Krista Wichterman, B.A. ’24 (University Scholar, English, Honors Program, Honors College) from Washington, D.C.: English Teaching Assistant award to Bulgaria |
Isabelle Zgorzelski, B.A. ’23 (International Relations and Spanish), M.A. ‘ 25 (Spanish, College of Arts & Sciences), from Simi Valley, California: English Teaching Assistant award to Argentina |
In addition, four Baylor students were selected as Fulbright alternates:
- Langley Cerovich: The Netherlands Maastricht Study/Research Award
- Chana Dandridge: English Teaching Assistant award to Madagascar.
- Abigail Pitts: The Netherlands Heersink Study/Research Award
- Isabella Zárate: English Teaching Assistant award to Mexico. Zárate also won the prestigious Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship.
“Uniqueness and care of the Baylor Family”
Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) leads the Fulbright effort by helping students and recent alumni discover and navigate the pathways to apply their learning to promote human flourishing, including through the Fulbright U.S. Student program. It’s a “campus-wide effort,” Hogue said, lauding OEL’s Daniel Benyousky, Ph.D., and Anna Beaudry, Ph.D., for their mastery at guiding a large-scale process while attending individually to all 103 applicants, a record 48 of whom were Fulbright semifinalists. Students also benefited greatly from the expertise of Baylor faculty Jennifer Good, Ph.D., and Tres Bodet, Ph.D., other Fulbright Program advisers and four graduate writing consultants, Hannah Wells, Patrick Leech, David Nanninga and David Willey.
“Add to that the hundreds of recommendations and language evaluations offered by Baylor faculty and staff and the scores of previous Baylor Fulbrighters who offer counsel, and this success becomes cause for University-wide celebration. What a testament to the uniqueness and care of the Baylor family,” Hogue said.
As director of major fellowships and awards, Benyousky – who oversees the Fulbright, Marshall, Rhodes and Boren awards – recalls when OEL was created and Baylor had a then-record 23 student applicants.
“Now to have 24 winners and be a Fulbright Top Producing Institution three years running is remarkable. Baylor's Fulbright successes are a testament to the consistent excellence demonstrated by students, the formative mentoring opportunities offered by faculty and the dedicated support of University administration,” Benyousky said.
“We are excited to see Baylor undergraduate and graduate students embark on a life-changing experience engaging with other cultures on their Fulbright awards as they study global health in the U.K. and South Korea, conduct research in Germany and Austria and teach English across the globe in places like Argentina, Uruguay, Morocco, Bulgaria, Laos and Timor-Leste,” Beaudry said. “We are thrilled to see these students work as ambassadors who embody Baylor's commitment to being Pro Mundo.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.