Three SLCL graduates are among 13 U of I students or young alumni/ae who have accepted student Fulbright grants to pursue international educational, research and teaching experiences across the globe this coming year.

Sean Chapman, of Joliet, Ill., received a BA in linguistics in December. Chapman was offered one of 25 English Teaching Assistant positions in India. He said he is eager to further his studies of Hindi and Sanskrit while sharing the English language with Indian students. As a member of the James Scholar honors program, Chapman explored how varieties of language may be used to stratify societies and uphold the interests of the ruling elite. Chapman also taught English while studying abroad in Russia in fall 2017. Post-Fulbright, he said he plans to pursue graduate study in historical linguistics and become a professor of Indo-Aryan linguistics.

Phoebe Lauer, of Chicago, graduated in May with a BA in psychology and Spanish. She was offered an English Teaching Assistant Fulbright in the Canary Islands, Spain, where she will assist English teachers in early childhood and elementary school classrooms. As an undergraduate, Lauer studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, where she also volunteered as an ESL instructor. While living in the Canary Islands, Lauer hopes to volunteer at a hospital or rehabilitation center for individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities, as well as to continue her advocacy for immigrant and refugee rights. She said she plans to pursue a doctoral degree in occupational therapy with a goal of working in a hospital setting to assist children with cognitive and physical disabilities.

Eriele Tellis, of Chicago, graduated in May with a BA in political science and a minor in Portuguese. She been named one of seven Fulbright English Teaching Assistants to Italy. Tellis said she applied for the Fulbright in Italy “to build a critical foundation for my future career as an immigration lawyer, exchange customs with the students and work with local nongovernmental organizations in the community to alleviate the refugee crisis.” A James Scholar honors student, Tellis focused her studies on issues of international migration, comparative politics and globalization. She studied abroad in Brazil for a semester and also in Italy for one month. On campus, she served as president of the student organization Women of Color and also founded an organization for young girls, Sister to Sister, to provide mentoring to area disadvantaged teens. Tellis also is the Illinois state facilitator of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The Fulbright program is jointly administered at Illinois by the National and International Scholarships Program, which works with undergraduates and recent alumni, and the Graduate College Office of External Fellowships, which supports graduate students. Additionally, dozens of Illinois faculty members and staff with geographic and programmatic expertise review student application materials and conduct candidate interviews.