Global Connections • Excellence and Expertise

Six Miami students, alumni named semifinalists in Fulbright competition

Four Miami seniors and two alumni will learn this spring whether they will receive the Fulbright grants.

by Karen M. O'Hara, Assistant Director, Communications and Marketing, Global Initiatives • Published 1/31/23 • Last updated 1/11/26 11:36:46

Row 1: Erin Fetters, Olivia Kelly, Colton Powaski Row 2: Sam Ross, Sinait Sarfino, Samantha Shetterly

Global Connections • Excellence and Expertise

Six Miami students, alumni named semifinalists in Fulbright competition

Four Miami seniors and two alumni will learn this spring whether they will receive the Fulbright grants.

by Karen M. O'Hara, Assistant Director, Communications and Marketing, Global Initiatives • Published 1/31/23 • Last updated 1/11/26 11:36:46

Six Miami University students and alumni are semifinalists in the 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Student competition.

Four Miami seniors and two alumni have been recommended by the U.S. National Screening Committees for further consideration by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in the countries to which they applied. They will learn this spring whether they will receive the Fulbright grants.

The Miami semifinalists are:

Erin Fetters - Spanish (MA) and Latin American Studies
English Teaching Assistant in Colombia

Olivia Kelly - Linguistics and Spanish (MA)
Minor: Chinese
English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan

Colton Powaski - International Studies and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies
English Teaching Assistant in Uzbekistan

Sam Ross - Spanish and Premedical Studies
Minor: Sociology
English Teaching Assistant in Spain

Sinait Sarfino '22 - alumna in Diplomacy and Global Politics and East Asian Languages and Cultures
English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan

Samantha Shetterly '19 - alumna in Spanish and Psychology
English Teaching Assistant in Argentina

This year, Miami had 15 applicants to 11 countries. Of these, seven were undergraduate students, two were graduate students, and six were alumni. Two applied for graduate study or research grants; 13 applied for English Teaching Assistantships.

About the Fulbright Program

Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the premier international exchange program of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Its mission to promote intercultural understanding through citizen exchange is achieved through funding graduate study, teaching and research in more than 140 countries. Programs are available for U.S. students, U.S. scholars, foreign students, and foreign scholars.

Since 1966, more than 100 Miami University students and faculty have received Fulbright grants. For a complete list, visit MiamiOH.edu/Fulbright.

Several information sessions are planned for the 2024-2025 application cycle.

Attend a Fulbright Information Session

Questions? Contact Karla Guinigundo, Director of Global Partnerships.