While Creighton is known for sending students to medical school, it’s also making an impression for sending students to Ukrainian orphanages and schools in Ecuador.
They do this through the Fulbright Program for international scholarship.
The Fulbright Program is a nationwide program set up to give scholarships and grants to students who wish to study internationally.
Last month, the Fulbright Program recognized Creighton as one of the top producers of Fulbright Students in the U.S. for 2009-2010.
Being a Fulbright Fellow is considered a high academic honor, and Creighton currently has two graduates participating in the program.
Claire Climer, a 2008 graduate, was granted a Fulbright Educator Scholarship and is presently in Ecuador teaching English.
Sarah Daley, also a 2008 graduate, received a grant to conduct research in Ukraine with children raised in orphanages.
These unique opportunities were brought about through Creighton’s involvement in the program.
“Creighton sponsors a number of fellowships and grants for students and assists them in applying for external grants such as the Fulbright,” said Amy E. Wendling, assistant professor of Philosophy and faculty administrator for Creighton’s Fulbright Program.
The acknowledgment of Creighton’s successes in the Fulbright Program is a testament to Creighton’s broad core-based education that gives students a wide range of skills and interests that Fulbright Scholars exhibit, Wendling said.
The success of the program is a combination of students’ interests and faculty mentoring throughout the application process.
Being a Fulbright Scholar gives a rich international experience that will last a lifetime, Wendling said.
“They get to pursue a project of independent research in a foreign environment, an experience that often serves as an excellent jumping off point for graduate school,” she said.
Students will also serve as positive representatives for the U.S. in another country, Wendling said.
Applicants to the program must be juniors. After they choose a country in which they wish to study, faculty then assist them in finding affiliates there who will take their application.
Most students complete the application by fall of their senior year and if they receive a scholarship, they will start their Fulbright program after graduation.
“Creighton is an exceptional place to nurture students for this type of grant, but while we are already a top producer, many more students ought to apply,” Wendling said.
The grantees in past years have included not only students from the College of Arts & Sciences, but also from the College of Business and various health professions.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Scholar Program consists of nearly 1,600 U.S. students annually. Those students are involved in more than 100 different fields of study in about 125 countries.
Since its establishment, students granted a Fulbright Scholarship have been sent to one of many places around the world to conduct unique work and research opportunities.
The Fulbright Institution is available for Creighton students and those interested in the program have the opportunity to attend an informational meeting on Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. in Skutt Student Center Room 104 or contact Amy Wendling in the Philosophy department.