Davia Fuller is Recipient of 2019 Fulbright Grant to Spain
JONESBORO – An Arkansas State University student has been offered a Fulbright grant for the 2019-20 academic year by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Two other students were selected as alternates.
Davia Fuller of Horseshoe Bend, a senior English education major, was selected for an English teaching assistantship in Spain, beginning in September. She will work with students in the La Rioja region for nine months.
This is the third consecutive year for an A-State student to be selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which attracts more than 10,000 applications annually.
Brittany DuBose of Jonesboro, a senior psychology and Spanish major, is an alternate for a study grant to the University of Turku in Finland. She will graduate in May.
Alyssa Green of Sheridan, who finished her elementary education degree in December, was selected as an alternate for an English teaching assistantship in Kenya. She has accepted a teaching position at University Heights Intermediate School in Jonesboro.
If one of the grant recipients to their selected countries is unable to accept the award, DuBose or Green may receive a grant at a later time.
“We are extremely proud of Davia, Brittany and Alyssa for their achievements and selection for the Fulbright program,” said Dr. Lynita Cooksey, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research. “Arkansas State is committed to assisting top students with their pursuit of prestigious graduate scholarship opportunities, so we are always pleased to see our students selected for career-enriching opportunities."
Fuller's interest in serving as an ESL (English as second language) instructor began before she started studying at A-State in 2015. After completing the Fulbright teaching assistantship, she plans to return to Jonesboro and pursue a Master of Arts degree in English, with a career goal of becoming a university professor.
“I am a first-generation college student, so graduating from college and getting an award like this is an amazing opportunity," Fuller said. "I can't put into words how blessed I feel at all of the opportunities for growth and experience A-State has given me.”
While at A-State, Fuller has been a member of the Honors College, the Hispanic Outreach and Latino Appreciation (HOLA) Club, and the Kappa Delta Pi teaching honor society. She also has served since 2017 as the social chair for Delta Zeta sorority.
Active in the A-State Young Democrats, she served as District 1 vice-chair for the Stonewall and Women’s caucuses. During her sophomore year, she was awarded a Virtual Student Federal Service internship tutoring Ecuadorian students in English through a virtual classroom. This semester, Fuller completed her teaching internship at Trumann High School. Her parents are Shonda Marin-Pruitt and Todd Pruitt.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered at Arkansas State University by Jennifer Salo, competitive fellowships and scholarships coordinator and academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Communication. She encourages prospective applicants and serves as a mentor during the application process.
This year marks the 73rd anniversary of the Fulbright Program’s establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Since then, the program has given thousands of students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
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