Fulbright awardees (l to r): Fielding Jezreel ’09, Anna Werner ’09, Meredith Drake ’09, Ruth Manski ’09, Max Crowder ’09. Not pictured: Sonja Broomes ’09, Molly Sykes ’09.
— photo by Grant Dissette '12

Seven Grinnell students have received Fulbright assistantships for international teaching and research assignments. The prestigious Fulbright international education exchange program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. State Department.

The Chronicle of Higher Education last year included Grinnell in a listing of “top producing schools” for institutions with the highest number of students to receive Fulbrights. Sixteen Grinnell students were finalists in the Fulbright program this year.

Grinnellians and their country assignments for 2009-10 include:

• Sonja Broomes ’09, a German major from Chicago, Ill., accepted an English teaching assistantship in Germany. As a Grinnell student, Broomes coordinated activities in the German language project house on campus.
• Max Crowder ’09, a history major from St. Paul, Minn., accepted an English teaching assistantship in Germany. As a Grinnell student, Crowder participated in a Berlin study abroad program and worked as a German language tutor for high school students.
• Meredith Drake ’09, a German major from Iowa City, Ia., will be an English teaching assistant in Germany. Drake served as a German tutor at Grinnell, participated in the college’s symphony orchestra, and volunteered at the local high school.
• Fielding Jezreel ’09, a sociology and religious studies major from Louisville, Ky., accepted an English teaching assistantship in Turkey. At Grinnell, Jezreel co-led the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, worked with the Poverty Action Now organization, and participated in the Latin American dance group.
• Ruth Manski ’09, a sociology major from Bar Harbor, Me., accepted a Fulbright to study women’s cooking culture in Sri Lanka. As a Grinnell student, Manski participated in Mortar Board, community choir, symphonic band, dance team, and the feminist action coalition.
• Molly Sykes ’09, a history major from Lexington, Ky., will teach English in Russia. Sykes founded Grinnell’s Native American Student Association and organized a tutoring program at a nearby settlement. She also organized a community meals program in the Grinnell community.
• Anna Werner ’09, a classics major from St. Louis, Mo., accepted a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Indonesia. As a Grinnell student, Werner participated in Javanese music ensemble, an acappella group, and independent theatre and music productions.