Boise State has a reputation of advising record numbers of students who receive Fulbright scholarships. These scholarships send students to international locations for graduate studies, advanced research and university teaching opportunities, or primary and secondary school teaching. Grace Hall is one of this year’s Boise State Fulbright scholars out of eight semifinalists representing the university, which includes three alternates who also may receive scholarships if additional funding becomes available, as well as two non-selects who are still named semifinalists.
Grace Hall, an interdisciplinary major with emphases in political science, Arabic and global studies and a 2022 Top Ten Scholar, will head back to Jordan, where she studied abroad in high school, as part of an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program. This program places Fulbright scholars in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker presence in classrooms.
“My fellowship advisor Kate Huebschmann and the Honors College have been fundamental in my journey to receiving this scholarship,” Hall said. “Kate helped show me that the path to success is not straight lines, but rather it is continually changing, learning and growing, opening up even better opportunities.”
Huebschmann is a vital resource for students pursuing national, prestigious fellowships. The Honors College has helped 73 students with their Fulbright applications since it opened its fellowship advising office in 2014, and 34 percent (or 25 of those students) have won awards.
As a Fulbright grantee and a teacher for one year in Jordan, Hall will plan a community involvement project with local women’s and girls’ empowerment programs that focus on educational and economic opportunities. She will use her skills in the Arabic language to connect with and mentor young Jordanian girls and refugees, continuing the positive impact she’s made in Boise, as founder of the Boise State Arabic Club, Arabic tutor, and participant in the World Language Resource Center’s pathways project where she mentored and taught local refugees. Hall wants to pursue a career in foreign policy in Washington, D.C., promoting development in the Middle East by supporting women’s education, empowerment and economic opportunities.
“There is no such thing as failure, just an opportunity to learn about yourself, grow and bounce back even stronger,” Hall said when reflecting on some of the hurdles to receiving the scholarship. “To any student, winning a prestigious scholarship such as Fulbright is the highlight of an academic career. However, receiving this means so much more to me than a title I can flaunt.”
