Grinnellians Prepare for 2026-2027 Fulbright Grant Years
Grinnell College recent graduates and alumni were named Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grantees for the 2026–2027 academic year. They were selected based on their academic achievement, distinct experiences, personal attributes, and leadership potential, with the opportunity to create connections in a complex and changing world.
For over 75 years, Fulbright grants have provided future American leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to study, conduct research, and teach abroad, with the goal of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
“A Fulbright grant year is an exceptional opportunity for Grinnellians to direct their knowledge, skills, and passions through global inquiry and exchange,” said Ann Landstrom, Fulbright program adviser (FPA) and assistant dean and director of global fellowships and awards in Grinnell College’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service.
Landstrom continued, “Our grantees are poised to be exceptional ambassadors around the globe—expanding their world view and gaining a deep appreciation of their host country and its people.”
Jamuna Corsaro, Class of 2026
Jamuna Corsaro, a Chinese and biology double major with a science, medicine, and society concentration from Saint Paul, Minnesota, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Taiwan. Corsaro will serve as a teaching assistant in an elementary school or junior high school to support English language learning and to foster mutual understanding by leading extracurricular activities and community engagement.
“Growing up navigating between cultures as a Nepali adoptee raised in the United States, I believe that some of the richest learning happens across differences,” shared Corsaro. “As a Fulbright ETA, I am eager to bring this spirit of curiosity to learn, while reciprocating wherever it is welcomed, into Taiwanese classrooms and spaces—not just to teach English, but also build a community where students feel seen and empowered to find their own voice.”
At Grinnell, Corsaro has centered her involvement through mentorship, cultural engagement, and building community across differences. She was a tutor in the Science Learning Center, teaching fellow with Breakthrough Twin Cities, camp counselor at both an Indian and Nepali adoptee heritage camp and a YMCA camp, and member of the Nepali Student Organization.
With a foundation in the language and an appreciation for Taiwanese culture from her study abroad experience in Taiwan, she will engage meaningfully with local communities and Taiwan’s educational system. Corsaro is focused on fostering an inclusive and engaged learning environment while learning how educators and community members collaboratively support students, particularly in navigating challenges related to equity, resource access, and opportunity.
Corsaro plans to pursue graduate study in public health while also having an interest in education. She seeks a career path that works to address inequities in access to resources and opportunities—especially for underserved and marginalized communities. The Fulbright grant year in Taiwan, will offer insight and perspectives on how different systems approach equity and access to inform the development of community-centered solutions to challenges in education and health.
Margaret Morey, Class of 2025
Margaret Morey, a Spanish and psychology double major from Beech Grove, Indiana, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Argentina. Starting in March 2027, Morey will serve as an English language-learning assistant at a university or an English teaching training college. The program is designed to foster cross-cultural connection in the local community, creating relationships that will endure over time and result in positive long-lasting impacts, both within and outside the classroom.
“Argentina is an incredible place with so many fascinating stories to tell. It has been (and will be) a long journey, and I am so excited to see what comes next as a Fulbright ETA,” shared Morey. “My community service project specifically consists of creating a published collection of local contributions of artwork and writing to represent the voices of the community in which I am placed.”
Morey is currently a multilanguage learner assistant teacher at Victory College Preparatory Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. While at Grinnell College she was a Grinnell Advocate and Leader, English as a Second Language Tutor, Spanish Tutor in the Spanish Lab, Global Fellowships Ambassador, and Grinnell Salsa and Bachata Club participant.
She was fortunate to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina in spring semester 2024, returning in summer 2025 to support a high school welcome and orientation program. Following the Fulbright, Morey plans to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology or social work with the goal to become a licensed bilingual mental health professional.
“I am grateful to everyone who has supported me during my time at Grinnell College, and during the Fulbright application process. My professors, classmates, and mentors all helped me grow as a student, a professional, and a person throughout this time,” added Morey.
Lily Piede, Class of 2026
Lily Piede, a French and history double major from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in France. Piede will be a teaching assistant at the Collège Elsa Triolet et Collège P. Emile Victor, two middle schools in priority education areas (REP+) outside of Lyon, France.
Piede will work with students in the American International Section on pronunciation, oral expression, grammar, and conversational skills, while also assist in creating lessons and presentations on American culture and history. For her community project, she will host a scrapbooking club to create a collaborative and shared community record.
“I look forward to helping my students improve their English-speaking skills and providing firsthand insight into American life,” said Piede. “Outside of the classroom, I am eager to refine my French speaking skills, embrace the art de vivre, and immerse myself in Lyon’s unique culture!”
While on study abroad in spring 2025 semester, Piede volunteered as an English teaching assistant at École Aujourd'hui in Paris. She has also held education-based positions as a writing mentor with Grinnell’s Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center, volunteer with Grinnell Middle School Arts Club, and summer camp counselor.
As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Piede analyzed primary sources on religious tolerance from 16th century France. Piede was a member of the Linguistics Student Educational Policy Committee and a witness for Mock Trial. She held summer internships with the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024, a fundraising firm in 2023, and for now-governor Mikie Sherrill’s congressional campaign in 2022.
Following her Fulbright Grant year, Piede plans to have a career in law or academia.
Jeremy Roberts-Kleban, Class of 2026
Jeremy Roberts-Kleban, a Russian and political science major from Ellicott City, Maryland, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Kyrgyzstan. In this role, Roberts-Kleban will work with a local teacher at either a vocational school or the post-secondary level. He will be responsible for leading conversational practice classes as well as teaching lessons about American culture.
In the fall 2024 semester he studied abroad in Kyrgyzstan. “This was an incredible experience, teaching me about the country, its language, history, and culture,” shared Roberts-Kleban. “During my time there, I volunteered to teach English at the third grader level. This helped inform my passion for teaching English as a second language, and gave me hands-on experience teaching.”
“I am excited to have the opportunity to return to Kyrgyzstan to make a meaningful impact through teaching, living within my host community, and to have the experience to travel the world learning from other cultures,” continued Roberts-Kleban. “My studies at Grinnell placed a strong emphasis on intercultural understanding and communication, and I look forward to putting those skills to practice.”
At Grinnell, he worked as the coordinator of Russian House to provide a community space for Russian language and culture learning. He was also a member of the Russian Student Educational Policy Committee helping to organize events such as Slavic Coffeehouse, a yearly exhibition of cuisines from across Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
Roberts-Kleban credits his experience being a part of a multicultural community at Grinnell to prepare him to go out into the world to represent his country and to contribute to other communities positively. He plans to pursue a career of civil service following a Fulbright grant year, continuing to contribute to the United States’ relationship with the world.
Skylar Thomas, Class of 2026
Skylar Thomas, an economics and political science double major with a Latin America studies concentration and women’s basketball player from Fairfax, Virginia, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Spain. Thomas will be an assistant teacher in Asturias, Spain, a region on the north coast, working with elementary to high school students. Her supplemental project is to explore the historical and cultural connections between food, people, and land in the region.
“I am excited to share aspects of my culture and learn about the region of Asturias, specifically the Cantabrian mountains and the coastline,” said Thomas.
As a member and team captain of the Grinnell College women’s basketball team, Thomas is also eager to connect with students about sports and to explore athletic culture in Spain. She participated in a study abroad in Granada, Spain in the summer of 2024.
Thomas was a Teach for America Ignite fellow supporting students English reading comprehension with Two Rivers Charter School in Washington, DC and was a mentor all four years of college at the Grinnell Middle School. She also was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and worked in Admissions.
With a distinct interest in international affairs, Thomas was an intern at Pew Research Center working on global attitudes and trends survey research in summer 2025. She intends to pursue a career in public service, through policy research, international affairs, or law.
Isabel Voinescu, Class of 2026
Isabel ‘Isa’ Voinescu, a French and biochemistry major and women’s tennis player from Santa Fe, New Mexico, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Spain. Voinescu was placed in Galicia and will work with a teacher at an elementary school, high school, or vocational training school.
“Through the Fulbright grant, I’m excited to build a foundation for students to gain language skills while promoting cross-cultural exchange,” said Voinescu. “Having the opportunity to learn languages has allowed me to see the world though new perspectives and truly connect with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.”
“My time at Grinnell pushed me to pursue a holistic approach to education that has made me a more well-rounded person,” she continued. “I am looking forward to continuing this approach to education in Spain!”
Voinescu is looking forward to immersing herself in Spanish life, engaging with students as a supportive and empathetic educator, and growing as a cultural ambassador. She is also excited to learn Gallego, while also improving her Spanish. For her supplementary project, Voinescu plans to develop a creative writing and translation club using her background translating contemporary Romanian poems into English.
She has gained teaching experience in a variety of settings. While studying in Nantes, France in fall 2024 semester she served as an English language assistant for ages 13-15. In college, she was a French language tutor and teaching assistant, science grader and laboratory assistant, Bulgarian Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO) tutor, and tennis coach.
In addition, Voinescu was a student athlete in tennis and track & field, leader and member of the swing dancing club/contra dancing club, Biochemistry Student Educational Policy Committee member, and French & Arabic Student Educational Policy Committee member.
“I plan to pursue a career in medicine and my time with the Fulbright will deepen my communication skills and continue to broaden my cultural understanding,” shared Voinescu.
Alternate
- Anika Krebs, a class of 2026 psychology and sociology double major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, put forward a graduate study proposal for the Queen’s University Belfast: Global Security and Borders, United Kingdom. Anika was named an alternate for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and may be offered the award at any time before the grant start date at Queen’s University Belfast.
Additional Finalists
- Eli Conrod-Wovcha, a class of 2026 French and economics double major from Saint Paul, Minnesota was selected for a research project in Senegal, and instead will be working for an organization in Chicago, Illinois.
- Hope Zionts, a class of 2026 Russian major with concentrations in education studies and Russian, Central European and Eurasian studies from Los Angeles, California, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Czech Republic. In its place, Hope will be staying in the United States and working for the Avodah service corps in Chicago, Illinois.
Semi-Finalists
Six other Grinnell College applicants were named semi-finalists in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program process for 2026-2027:
- Medhashree Adhikari, class of 2026 from Castle Rock, Colorado, semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in South Korea.
- Destany Best, class of 2025 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Senegal.
- Alexander Jordan, class of 2026 from Ithaca, New York, semi-finalist for the Advanced Arabic Study in Cairo Language Study Program at CAASIC, Egypt.
- Wiktoria Kowal, class of 2026 from Saddle Brook, New Jersey, semi-finalist for her research proposal in Psychology, “The Effect of Parental Regret on Suicidal Ideation/Suicide Rates in Polish Youth” in Poland.
- Ella LaBarre, class of 2026 from Naperville, Illinois, semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Czech Republic.
- Henry Loomis, class of 2026 from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, semi-finalist for his research proposal in Art History, “Memorials and Ruins: The Art and the Experience of Natural Disaster” in Japan.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide and annually awards more than 2,100 grants for U.S. students to study overseas. Twenty-one applicants applied from Grinnell College for a 2026-2027 grant and over twenty-five graduating seniors and alumni are currently planning applications for the 2027-2028 grant year. Grinnell College current students and alumni are invited to meet with Fulbright Program Advisor Ann Landstrom (landstrom@grinnell.edu) for guidance and information. Visit us.fulbrightonline.org for more information about the program.
About Grinnell College
Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college in Iowa founded in 1846, provides individually advised learning for intellectually engaged students to produce graduates who are prepared to navigate the world’s complexities and responsibly contribute to the common good. Grinnell enrolls 1,700 students from around the world, who earn bachelor’s degrees in a range of disciplines across the humanities, arts and sciences. Grinnell's rigorous academic program and campus life emphasize excellence in education through free inquiry and the open exchange of ideas, a diverse community and social responsibility and action.