Five 2024 St. Mary's College of Maryland graduates were named Semi-Finalists in the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Four candidates have been moved forward as potential English Teaching Assistants (ETAs)—to spend a year teaching English in a foreign country—while the fifth is in the running for a Study Award to pursue a master's degree in Belgium.
Professor of English Jennifer Cognard-Black, PhD, the inaugural director of national fellowships and awards at St. Mary's College, had this to say about this year's Fulbright Semi-Finalists: "It is an achievement in and of itself for a Fulbright applicant to be selected as a Semi-Finalist. Each year, upwards of 4,000 student applicants compete for Fulbright Study Awards, while over 5,000 pursue Fulbright ETA grants. Thus, to be named a Semi-Finalist is truly outstanding!"
The selected Semi-Finalists include:
Cooper Clendenin ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Spain
Nicole Gibson ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Argentina
Lily Riesett, ’24: Semi-Finalist for a Study Award at the University of Ghent in Belgium
Mortimer Shiflett ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Benin
Eleanor “Ellie” Walter ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Spain
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides recent graduates and young professionals with opportunities to conduct research, pursue graduate studies, or teach English abroad. The program's mission is to foster cross-cultural connections, academic growth and global understanding by supporting projects that promote meaningful engagement within diverse communities around the world.
Current St. Mary’s College students and alumni may apply for Fulbright awards to teach English abroad, pursue graduate study abroad or engage in an individual research project for the 2025-2026 cycle beginning this March. A timeline for the application process—including the deadline for pre-proposals—may be found here: https://www.smcm.edu/ie/ways-to-study-abroad/fulbright/.
Anyone who would like to find out more about Fulbright opportunities or the application process may contact the new director of national fellowships and awards, Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black, at: fellowships@smcm.edu.
Individual profiles follow:
Cooper Clendenin ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Spain
Cooper Clendenin, a 2024 magna cum laude graduate, majored in international languages and cultures: Spanish, with a minor in sociology. A four-year member of the men’s varsity soccer team, Cooper was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma student-athlete honor society. During his senior year, he earned a Global Scholars Distinction after presenting on the professional benefits of his study abroad experience in Granada, Spain, and he was later invited to join Phi Beta Kappa. Cooper’s St. Mary's Project focused on the Sociopolitical Context of Street Art in Argentina, a topic he has since explored further through solo travel around Argentina, observing the very murals he researched. Recently, he completed a certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Cooper is about to embark on a new chapter of post-grad life in Portland, Maine, where he’ll be living with his sister Marley. If awarded a Fulbright grant in Spain, he is eager to deepen his passion for language education, intercultural communication, and foreign immersion. Cooper says, “I am incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received at St. Mary’s College and honored to be a Fulbright Semi-Finalist.”
Nicole Gibson ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Argentina
Nicole Gibson graduated from SMCM in May 2024, majoring in political science and public policy with a minor in Spanish. A student-athlete for all four years, she was a member of varsity rowing and volleyball as well as a student coach for volleyball’s strength and conditioning program. During her junior year, Nicole studied abroad for a semester in Granada, Spain, where she fell even more in love with traveling and with the Spanish language. As a former volunteer tutor for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program at a St. Mary’s County elementary school, she is deeply passionate about service and education. Nicole also proudly serves her local community as a first responder, working for North Bethany Beach Patrol in Sussex County, Delaware, for the past three summers. During the fall of 2024, she immersed herself in Latin culture by solo traveling around Central America for nearly two months. Nicole now works as a legislative assistant for the Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus. Nicole says, “I am ecstatic to have been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Semi-Finalist for the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award in Argentina, and I am incredibly grateful for the support of my mentors, professors, family and friends throughout this process.”
Lily Riesett ’24: Semi-Finalist for a Study Award at the University of Ghent in Belgium
Lily Riesett graduated from St. Mary’s College in 2024 with a major in political science and a minor in environmental studies. While at St. Mary’s College, Lily spent a good deal of time out at the Kate Chandler Campus Community Farm, taking on leadership roles such as serving as the Co-Op Manager and helping to launch the Kate Farm Stand in the Student Center. Lily also participated in the Bottom County Festival by selling Kate Farm T-shirts of her own design to raise money for the farm. In addition, Lily was awarded a prestigious Environmental Leadership Fellowship with the Rachel Carson Council, which enabled her to build a community garden at the Kate Farm dedicated to growing produce historically accurate to the region and to write articles for the Rachel Carson Council that appeared on its social media and website. The knowledge Lily gained at the Kate Farm has followed her post-graduation. She has completed a year-long Organic Farming Apprenticeship through Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners during the 2024 growing season, and now she is a member of AmeriCorps, working on food access and educational projects with the Green Mountain Farm-to-School program in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Lily says, “The Fulbright application process gave me the skills to apply for prestigious grants properly, something I will use throughout my professional career. It was also beneficial to think about how I can act as a global scholar and represent my country on the world’s academic stage. This type of reflection has helped me grow as a student and world citizen.”
Mortimer Shiflett ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Benin
Mortimer Shiflett was a transfer student to St. Mary’s College of Maryland from Montgomery Community College, and graduated in the fall of 2024 with a major in history. Mortimer loves learning about history and culture, and has had an ambition to explore West African history ever since he first started classes at St. Mary’s College. Mortimer’s time at St. Mary’s College and applying for this grant have constituted a great journey of self-discovery and growth. This journey has been invaluable to him, perhaps even more than the B.A. degree and the Semi-Finalist position that he has now earned. Mortimer can’t wait to potentially realize this aspiration in Benin and teach English there as a service to that country’s educational system and also to the bond between Benin and the U.S. Mortimer says, “Regardless of whether I am awarded a Fulbright grant or not, I am honored to have been deemed worthy by the Fulbright program, and I am thankful to all of my professors and friends who helped me on my journey.”
Eleanor “Ellie” Walter ’24: Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Spain
Ellie Walter is a 2024 graduate of St. Mary's College with a double major in neuroscience and Spanish, and double minors in environmental studies and music. During her time at St. Mary's College, she studied abroad in Costa Rica, where she engaged in environmental research and found a passion for cultural exchange with Spanish-speaking countries. On campus, Ellie conducted independent research with her professors Ximena Postigo and Liz Leininger, studying the therapeutic potentials of Latin American shamanism in Western medicine. Additionally, she served as president of the Sustainability Club, played on the women’s tennis team and worked as a student intern for the Office of International Education. Since graduation, Ellie has been working as a youth rehabilitation specialist at a nonprofit organization, supporting children diagnosed with mental illness. This role has enabled her to build meaningful relationships with young children and to create engaging learning environments. Ellie says, “I hope to create a Fulbright supplementary project in Spain that will inspire young children to stay connected to their natural environment, while learning about the benefits of healthy living.”
