“I originally heard about the Fulbright program in an honors class my freshman year. Although it was always in the back of my mind, I didn’t really consider applying until my junior year when I completed my Spanish capstone through the Bennion Center and taught at the Guadalupe School. I loved the experience and wanted to continue teaching English beyond graduation.

I am triple majoring in Spanish, international studies and political science. I studied abroad in Spain and have family living there, which played a role in my decision to apply for the Fulbright opportunity to teach English in Spain.

Throughout the Fulbright application process, the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships (ONCS) at the U has played a key role in supporting me. One of the things I found the most challenging was writing about myself. I feel confident writing an academic paper, but it was hard to pitch why I was the person who should receive this grant.

Alison Shimko is the associate director of ONCS and received a Fulbright grant herself. Fulbright applications require two essays and each of them have very specific requirements. Alison helped me communicate about myself in a concise way and make sure that the experiences I wrote about were relevant to the application.

Even if I don’t receive a Fulbright grant, going through this process was so beneficial. It better prepared me to apply for graduate school and will help me with future applications I need to fill out.”

— Ashton Pelley, Class of 2025, B.A. in Spanish, International Studies, and Political Science,

College of Social and Behavioral Science and College of Humanities, from Draper, Utah

2025 Fulbright Semifinalist