Money can often be an impediment for Bowdoin students who want to travel after graduation. But for those fortunate enough to earn Fulbright or Watson Fellowships?prestigious programs that provide grants to outstanding applicants?financial considerations are no longer a burden.
This year, 19 Bowdoin students submitted applications for Fulbright Fellowships, which provide funds to undertake graduate study and research abroad, as well as language assistantships to teach English in foreign countries.
Sixteen students at the College went through Bowdoin's own internal review process for a Watson Fellowship, which funds a year of independent research study outside the United States.
"The Fulbright is all about having American citizens go abroad, explore other cultures, and be ambassadors of sorts for the United States and for the country they were in for a year when they return," said Director of Student Fellowships and Research Cindy Stocks. "The Watson is about a year of exploring a question that the individual feels very passionate about."
After a screening process by the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education (IEE), five of this year's Fulbright applicants were recommended for a grant under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Bowdoin's internal screening process for Watson Fellowships nominated four students?the maximum number allowed to compete on the national level?for the grant.
Last year, five members of the class of 2007 received Fulbright Fellowships, while two received Watsons. Two members of the class of 2006 also received Fulbrights.
Grant proposals this year range from comparing ancient Japanese hand scrolls to modern comics, to examining the tensions between the religious and secular for Muslims pursuing music careers.
Andrew Steltzer '08, who applied for a Fulbright fellowship, plans to study Japan's English language program. "I wanted to see what goals the bureaucracy has, and see if those match up with the teaching methodism," Steltzer said. "If they want strong speakers, are they using the best teaching methods to make strong speakers?"
Steltzer's proposal includes study at a Japanese university, as well as observation of English language instruction at the middle school and high school levels.
Stocks said there were a number of Fulbright proposals that sought study in Asia.
"We have four out of the five Fulbright [proposals] focused on Asia," she said. "I might attribute that to the strong Asian Studies program."
However, Stocks said she did not observe any geographical patterns with students applying for Watson Fellowships.
Senior Lee Colon's Watson proposal would take her to five countries, where she would research and photograph international communities in Scotland, Thailand, New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada.
"I wanted to do something with photography and I wasn't sure what, and then I started thinking about my mom, [who] grew up in Israel on a kibbutz," Colon said. "I was really interested in examining individuality with photography...and a commune is a microcosm of a society, though it claims to be something different, so it came together with my interests."
Steltzer and Colon?as well as other finalists?will be notified in mid to late March whether they have won the fellowships.