妻友社区

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program has selected three 妻友社区 Honors College seniors as semifinalists for 2024-2025. Being chosen as a semifinalist is a significant step in the Fulbright competition as these three students were chosen by Fulbright鈥檚 national screening committees. Their applications have moved on to their respective host countries鈥� selection committees for final selection. 

The three Georgia Southern semifinalists are:

James Landers
History 鈥�24
Semifinalist for the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program in Taiwan
James Landers is currently working on his honors thesis, 鈥淯nilateralism and Strategic Ambiguity in American Foreign Policy: The Taiwan Relations Act in Context鈥� with Mao Lin, Ph.D., Department of History. Landers鈥� research fueled his desire to travel to Taiwan and apply for this opportunity. If he is awarded the ETA, his main goal for the year is 鈥渢o increase my proficiency in Mandarin so that upon my return to the United States I can jump right into my graduate research on the United States鈥� relationship with Taiwan and China.鈥�

Rylee Stanton
International Studies and World Languages & Cultures 鈥� Spanish 鈥�24
Semifinalist for the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program in Colombia
Rylee Stanton studied abroad in Colombia in the summer of 2022, and is eager to return. 鈥淢y time teaching will be spent creating powerful educational experiences for students and building a community of lifelong learners and global citizens,鈥� she said. Stanton is currently working on her honors thesis, 鈥淭he Edge of Paradise: Consumer Experiences with Sustainable Development鈥� with William Biebuyck, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and International Studies. Stanton hopes to continue to explore this topic further if she is awarded the Fulbright.

Lilly Thompson
International Studies 鈥�24
Semifinalist for Study/Research Grant to Latvia
Lilly Thompson has been working on her thesis, 鈥淓xamining Populist Political Parties in the Baltic States and Slovenia鈥� with Jacek Lubeccki, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and International Studies, and she hopes to continue to research the Baltic States in graduate school. Thompson applied for a study grant to earn a master鈥檚 degree in international governance and diplomacy in Latvia. She is interested in pursuing research on transitional justice. 鈥淭he legacy of transitional justice still informs Latvia鈥檚 governance and foreign policy today, especially regarding the treatment of ethnic minorities and support for other victims of gross human rights violations, such as in Ukraine,鈥� she said.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a complex and changing world. In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad.

During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others鈥� viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things and the way they think. Through engagement in the community, individuals will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.

The Honors College at Georgia Southern is an inclusive community of scholars that fosters intellectual and professional development through undergraduate research and creative scholarship, experiential learning, global engagement and personalized mentorship.