Dean of Academic Life
Words of Encouragement
“Encourage students to think outside the Bubble . . . I’m so glad I did. Students should apply for anything and everything they can get their hands on . . . and don’t think it’s just the Harvards and Dukes and Princetons that get the awards . . .”
Dennis Slade ‘99
Fulbright (Korea)
Cornell University (veterinary school)
“As a recipient of the President’s Award, I encourage each of you to take advantage of this opportunity to ‘jump start’ your dreams. While this may sound a bit cliché, I strongly believe that advance preparation for the National Science Foundation Research Graduate Fellowship gave me a competitive advantage. In highly prestigious national competitions, you are going up against the best of the best, because the demands for postgraduate funding far exceed the supply. Not only does funding provide you with a financial means of support, but it confers a great deal of prestige . . .
Having already received one national fellowship increases your odds of receiving other awards later in your academic career, or in my case, dissertation funding. At first, applying for these national awards is a daunting task. I could not even imagine articulating my research plans for graduate school before I even knew where I would be attending school. However, the President’s Award gives you the opportunity to do just this in a far less stressful context. The interview further allows you to define and defend your statement. When it comes time for the ‘real thing’, you are already half way there. I admit, I was quite surprised when I won the NSF Fellowship, but I owe that accomplishment in a big part to the very competition in which you have a chance to participate. Go for it!”
Karen Baab ’00
President’s Award
NSF
New York University (Anthropology)
“I was so discouraged at times. I had school work that demanded my attention. And I questioned why on earth I was doing this. The chances were so few . . . I spent fall break in the library working on a policy statement for the Truman . . . It may be hard, but it was worth it. Being at the Truman workshop in Independence, Missouri, I was surrounded by like-minded people who want to transform the world. It was so exciting. And the Truman people treated us so well. Now, I’m so happy I did follow through.”
Kate Bartkus ‘00
Truman Award
Summer Stipend
Princeton University (Public Policy)
“Competing for the Goldwater and the President’s Award gave me the confidence that I was adequately prepared and encouraged me to continue learning . . . The application process helped me focus because I was able to articulate what I wanted to get out of my education . . . A lot of students assume that the future will take care of itself. It won’t . . . We need to let students know that what they do counts for today and for tomorrow.”
Jackson Mayo ’00
Goldwater Award
President’s Award
Summer Stipend
National Defense Science & Engineering Fellowship
Princeton University (Physics)
“A year ago I sat where you are today. I wondered what I should do the year after graduation . . . At college, I was so busy studying for tests, participating in sports or clubs, working, eating, hanging out, that I hardly had time to think about who I was, what kind of life I want for myself, what role I want in the world. So I applied for the Fulbright. This is the perfect way to spend the year after graduation. Consider it breathing room between school and the ‘real world’, where there is something new to learn about a culture and yourself with every inhalation. I will not regret that I began my career too soon, that I have not seen enough of the world or that I have not challenged myself to see who I am when I am completely on my own without familiar comforts . . . Nobody I know who has done the Fulbright postgraduate award regrets it.”
Nina Forsberg ’01
Fulbright (Korea)
“I got the information on postgraduate awards while I was doing my junior semester abroad in Madrid two years ago. At first glance, I didn’t really feel like putting the effort into it, but now I am sure glad I did . . . I was a bit frustrated, I didn’t know a lot about my topic and didn’t know how to structure my proposal – it is difficult to know what they want. But I decided to write from my heart and lay out a proposal that I would enjoy doing . . . I wrote everything for my proposal, Dr. Kipa ripped it apart, more than once; I rewrote it, and I finally sent it in . . .
I’m now in Madrid, beginning my research on domestic violence in Spanish culture and the ways in which Franco and the Catholic Church have influenced the perception of women. . . Right now I’m a bit intimidated, but then I remind myself: What other time in my life am I going to be paid to live in a foreign country and study something that is intensely interesting to me?”
Katie McCleary ’01
Fulbright (Spain)
“"Every year somebody wins these awards. Why not you?. . . Don't be intimidated. There's a lot of work involved, but there's also a lot of rewards . . . There are so many opportunities available for you . . . Take the initiative. Take the leap. You never know where it will lead.”
Michael Hogentogler '04
Rotary Ambassadorial Fellowship
Manchester University, U.K.
Masters in Finance
“You miss a hundred percent of the shots you didn’t take.”
Wayne Gretsky, philosopher and athlete