Florida Southern again Named Top Producer of Fulbright Scholarship Students

Feb 10, 2023

For the second consecutive year, and fourth in the past five, Florida Southern College has been recognized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (BECA) as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students.

Morgan McDermott and Fulbright Scholars — Morgan McDermott '22 (second row, far right) with fellow Fulbrighters.

Six Florida Southern students and alumni were selected for Fulbright awards for 2022-2023, bringing the total number to 19 since the first FSC student was selected in 1949. Austin Crotteau ’18 (Norway), Catherine Stogner ’21 (Montenegro), Morgan McDermott ’22 (Thailand), Lexi Potter ’22 (Greece), Zoe Perkins ’21 (Latvia) and Grace Sill ’22 (Taiwan) were all selected during the current cycle.

Since 2017-18, Florida Southern has had 17 selected for Fulbright awards.

Florida Southern’s rich history of experiential learning and its dedicated faculty and staff has established the exceptional track record the College has had over the past five years in earning Fulbright Awards.

“Florida Southern College continues to achieve the distinction as a top producer of students being selected for Fulbright awards,” said Dr. Anne B. Kerr, president of Florida Southern College. “FSC’s student body is filled with world-class talent with incredible abilities to make positive and consequential impacts on society. The Fulbright experiences are transformational for the participants and provide an invaluable global perspective in their respective areas of study. Our FSC learning community is also enriched as they share their experiences upon returning.”

Associate Professor of English Dr. Rebecca Saulsbury Bravard is Florida Southern’s Director of Prestigious Fellowships and Associate Director of Honors. Dr. Bravard has helped guide potential Florida Southern College U.S. Fulbright Students toward their goal of earning a Fulbright Scholarship, including the 2022-23 winners.

Grace Sill with her students in Taiwan — Grace Sill '22 with her students in Taiwan.

“Being named a Top Producing Institution for the U.S. Fulbright Program for 2022-2023 is an amazing achievement for Florida Southern College in several respects,” Dr. Bravard said. “We had six finalists out of seven semifinalists (86 percent) and 64 percent of our applicants were named semifinalists. All of this underscores the exemplary education our students receive in and outside the classroom, from study abroad and internships to collaborative research with faculty members, presenting their work at national and international conferences, cultivating leadership skills, and engaging in service. FSC's experiential focus produces ideal candidates for Fulbright's U.S. Student Program. I couldn't be more proud of our students and Florida Southern College.”

Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It is also among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields – including recent university graduates, teachers, scientists, researchers, artists, and others, from the United States and over 160 other countries – have participated in the Fulbright Program.

Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors, and the world and have included 41 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders and changemakers who carry forward the Fulbright mission of enhancing mutual understanding.

“On behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, congratulations to the colleges and universities recognized as 2022-2023 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to all the applicants who were selected for the Fulbright Program this year,” said Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators, and advisors, a new generation of Fulbrighters – changemakers, as I like to say – will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities, and around the world."