Fulbright scholars

Four recent UR graduates receive Fulbright grants for 2021

July 10, 2020

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Four recent University of Richmond graduates have been awarded prestigious Fulbright grants, which they will complete in 2021. To date, the University of Richmond has had 64 student Fulbright grant recipients.

The recipients include:

  • Emily Churchhill, who will complete an English teaching assistantship in Mexico
  • Ella Reed, who will complete a combined community-based grant in Austria
  • Gabriela Telepman, who will complete a binational internship in Mexico
  • Mehreen Usman, who will complete an English Teaching Assistantship in Malaysia

"The Fulbright is a wonderful fit for Richmond students who are deeply interested in cultural exchange,” said Dana Kuchem, director of the Office of Scholars and Fellowships. “Recipients engage in international study that fuels both their intellectual and personal development.”

Emily Churchill, a recent alum from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will be teaching English classes and pursuing an independent research project that expands on her senior thesis evaluating the impacts of Mexico’s conditional cash transfer program on its education system.

“Mexico has such a wealth of history, cultures, and languages, and getting to explore them through the Fulbright program will be incredibly special,” said Churchill, who plans to attend graduate school and become a Latin American Studies professor.

Ella Reed of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, was one of only four people to receive a Fulbright combined community-based grant, which she is slated to complete in Austria beginning in January 2021. Reed will be taking two classes, teaching English to high schoolers, and interning at the nonprofit Refugees Welcome Austria.

“I am really excited to pass on my love for languages and other cultures to the students I will be working with, and the people I will be helping,” said Reed, who plans to attend law school and focus on immigration law after completing her Fulbright.

Gabriela Telepman, of Miami received a Fulbright Garcia-Robles Binational Internship and will be placed as an intern at a Mexican social entrepreneurship firm and take courses related to international business at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, one of the most prestigious private universities within the field in Mexico.

“I hope to learn more about effectively supporting entrepreneurs who are working to change the world for the better, said Telepman, who aspires to pursue a career connecting businesses with nonprofits.

Mehreen Usman of Leawood, Kansas, received an English teaching assistantship, which she will complete at a primary or secondary school in Malaysia.

“I’m interested in the intersection of economic policy and helping vulnerable communities,” said Usman, who plans to pursue a career in education policy and international development.

Fulbright scholars
Ella Reed, '20; Mehreen Usman, '20; Gabriela Telepman, '20; and Emily Churchhill, '19