University of Puget Sound Students Awarded Prestigious Grants and Scholarships

Puget Sound students and alumni won several Fulbright and Gilman awards in 2022

Every year, University of Puget Sound students are selected to receive highly competitive grants, awards, scholarships, and fellowships which enable them to continue their educations and dive deeper into their fields of expertise. This year is no different, with six Loggers being named Fulbright U.S. Student recipients, two students receiving the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and several others earning other prestigious awards. We spoke to a few of this year’s cohort to learn more about their plans.

Olivia Babcock ’22

Fulbright U.S. Student program, Zambia

Olivia Babcock is a senior history major with a minor in communication studies. Babcock has always been interested in human rights and expanding access to education, and she’s excited to work as an English teaching assistant in the southern African nation of Zambia. Babcock has gained extensive international experience while studying at Puget Sound. She previously spent a semester in South Africa, interned with a foreign policy think tank, and taught English to elementary and middle school students in Vietnam through an online experiential learning opportunity. She initially applied for the Fulbright program in Botswana and was waitlisted, but jumped at the chance to instead spend a year in Zambia. In addition to teaching, she plans to study the country’s progressive education policies and network with human rights organizations.

“There’s so much we can learn from other cultures, and especially from places like Zambia, including models for improving education systems, civic programs, and how to build socially progressive policies,” Babcock says. “So, I’m interested in getting more involved in advocacy work and bringing what I learn back to the U.S. to work in policy and human rights.”

Jess Cooper ’22

Fulbright U.S. Student program, Germany

Jess Cooper is a senior double majoring in politics and government and German and East European culture and history. Cooper always wanted to study abroad, but was unable to spend a planned year in Munich due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A language tutor at Puget Sound’s Center for Writing and Learning and member of the Associated Students of the University Puget Sound Honor Court, Cooper was intrigued by the opportunity to teach English to German students through the Fulbright program. She’s excited to be heading to the central German state of Thüringen where she’ll be an English teaching assistant. While Cooper isn’t interested a teaching career, she is excited for the chance to immerse herself in the culture and put her language skills to the test.

“I don’t think I ever would’ve thought to apply for the Fulbright if I wasn’t at Puget Sound and without the support that Kelli Delaney and others on campus have offered me,” Cooper says. “Being here has really helped me build confidence in myself that I can even think about moving to Germany.”

Alisa Glabe ’23

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, Taiwan

Alisa Glabe is a junior majoring in international business and Chinese language and culture, and is a member of the Access Programs cohort. Despite never having studied Chinese before coming to Puget Sound, the Tacoma native fell in love with the language and is excited to be spending the fall 2022 semester in Taiwan, thanks to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The Gilman Scholarship is a program run by the U.S. Department of Defense and enables access to study abroad opportunities for college students with limited financial means. Glabe is also a member of Puget Sound’s tea club and is looking forward to visiting some of Taipei’s famous tea houses.

“I chose the program in Taipei because it also has an internship component. In the mornings, I’ll be taking a Chinese class, and then I’ll go to my internship in the afternoons,” Glabe says. “I’m interested to see how working in Taiwan is different than in the U.S., and I hope to make connections that might lead to a job opportunity later on.”

Matt Roge ’22

Fulbright U.S. Student program, Germany

Matt Roge is a senior German studies major with a minor in Spanish. He had hoped to study abroad for a semester in Munich, but when the COVID-19 pandemic upended those plans, he refocused on applying for the Fulbright program as an English teaching assistant as a way to travel to Germany and put his language skills to use. Roge hopes to emulate his professors as he helps his students become proficient in English and, whether he ends up in Berlin, Leipzig, or Freiburg, he has his sights set on relocating permanently.

“I've wanted to go to Germany for a long time, so this is a way to do that and improve my German,” Roge says. “Ideally, I’d like to stay longer, find a job, and put down roots in Germany. I think stepping outside of what you’ve always known and experiencing life in another country is something everyone should do.”

Nora Torbett ’22

Fulbright U.S. Student program, Taiwan

Nora Torbett is a senior majoring in Chinese language and culture, and in international political economy, with a minor in global development studies. Torbett has had her eye on the Fulbright program from her first day on campus, when she heard about it from her faculty advisor Lotus Perry. Even after delaying her entrance to Puget Sound for a year to spend time in Beijing, Torbett knew she wanted to teach English in Taiwan after graduation. Now, five years later, she’s packing her bags for an 11-month stay on the island. She hopes to incorporate skills she learned as a counselor in an immersive Chinese language camp to teaching students in Yilan County.

“Being a Chinese major, it felt really logical to go to a country where I could immerse myself in the language and culture,” Torbett says. “It also felt like the right fit for me, for my other interests related to education and global development studies, to see how the curriculum is used and how the Taiwanese educational system incorporates topics like environmental sustainability.”

Lenora Yee ’21

Fulbright U.S. Student program, Argentina

Lenora Yee graduated in 2021 with majors in English with a creative writing focus and Spanish language, culture, and literature, as well as a minor in music with a focus on vocal performance. Yee was studying abroad in Argentina when the COVID-19 pandemic forced an early return home, but she remained determined to live and work abroad. After graduating from Puget Sound, Yee found a position in Spain teaching English. While helping third through sixth graders improve their language proficiency, Yee remained in contact with Puget Sound’s Associate Director of Fellowships and Advising Kelli Delaney MEd’07, who encouraged her to apply for the Fulbright program. Now, Yee is heading back to Argentina to serve as an English teaching assistant in a university setting.

“I think this will be a deeply challenging and formative experience. I’m really interested in pedagogy, and I also expect to explore my musical and creative self in this new environment and see how that inspires me,” Yee says. “A Puget Sound education is very all-encompassing in the way you learn to write and think critically, and that prepares you for very different cultural situations, where you can't really jump to conclusions—you have to sit in your feelings and discomfort, and think about things really deeply.”