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The University of North Georgia (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) has been named the in its category nationwide with nine Fulbright U.S. Student Program selections for 2023-24. Released by the U.S. Department of State on Feb. 13, the list showed that Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û was the best among 12 master's institutions to make the list.  

"The University of North Georgia students and alumni continue to bolster their reputation as trail blazers ready to lead from a global context," Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û President Michael Shannon said. "The leadership development they receive while at Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û is second to none, and we are grateful to see them using their leadership skills to impact the world." 

Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û, Emory University and University of Georgia are the only universities in Georgia on this year's list, which included a total of 170 schools. This is Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's seventh year in a row as a Fulbright top producer. 

The Fulbright is a prestigious, highly competitive fellowship that enables recent graduates and graduate students to pursue research, earn a graduate degree or teach English overseas. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and residents of more than 160 foreign countries, according to the Fulbright website. 

"Our students and alumni consistently set themselves apart in the Fulbright process. Their desire to make an impact on the world both abroad and in their home communities is unmatched," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, said. "Our students also benefit from Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û’s exceptional faculty and staff who hone our students’ global leadership skills through expert mentoring."

Anna Kubas, a fall 2022 graduate from Elberton, Georgia, with a degree in modern languages with a Russian language and literature concentration, is serving as an English teaching assistant in Kazakhstan during this academic year. After learning Russian in high school, at Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and in a summer immersion program at Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont, Kubas decided to pursue the Fulbright. 

"I wanted to pay it forward and serve others through teaching," Kubas said.  

Kubas previously applied twice for the Critical Language Scholarship and was an alternate for the Boren Scholarship. Even though those opportunities didn't work out, her experience working with Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Nationally Competitive Scholarships office paid off. A National Service Leadership Track graduate and former member of Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Corps of Cadets, Kubas encourages others to chase similarly ambitious goals and apply for national awards. 

"The experience on the other side is life-changing. Even if you don't get it, you will develop your hard skills of essay writing," Kubas said. "It helps you be introspective about your values and what you want. The essay process is always going to develop you." 

2nd Lt. Phillip Ly, a fall 2022 graduate from Forest Park, Georgia, with a degree in strategic and security studies, is an English teaching assistant in Vietnam for 2023-24. The experience is helping him reconnect with his family's Vietnamese roots while serving others. 

"I love teaching students here and that I can broaden their global perspective by teaching them English," Ly said.  

Karen Garcia, a fall 2022 graduate from Clarkesville, Georgia, with a degree in modern languages with a Spanish language and literature concentration and a minor in Korean, recently arrived in South Korea and is undergoing training before beginning to teach.

"It's a unique experience and Fulbright Korea provides a great orientation that prepares future English teaching assistants for their year as teachers," Garcia said. "They also provide a great support system that helps them find a living space and integrate into a new country." 

While Garcia, Kubas and Ly are 2023-24 Fulbright recipients, this month alumna Kelly Reid begins her third year as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in South Korea. Some students are able to receive Fulbright extensions beyond the usual one year of Fulbright, but her program is one of the few that allows up to three years. Reid, who earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training in spring 2019, has particularly enjoyed the chance to serve in underserved areas of South Korea.  

"The Fulbright Program helps you expand your horizons while serving others," Reid said.  

The  compiles the list of top-producers, which is published annually in . 

Students interested in learning more about the Fulbright program should contact the Nationally Competitive Scholarships Office at ncs@ung.edu for more information. 

Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û is in line for another possible long list of Fulbright winners with 16 semifinalists recently named for the 2024-25 cycle. Fourteen applied to be English teaching assistants and two applied to pursue graduate school abroad.