News & Recipients

Four USF Students Selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

This fall, four University of South Florida (USF) students will travel across the world to participate in academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural conversation through global exchange as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers opportunities in all academic disciplines to graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.

2024 USF Student fulbright recipients

JACKSON HABORAK

A recent graduate from the USF College of the Arts and the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Jackson has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Graduate Study Grant to the Netherlands, to undertake a Master of Arts in Contemporary Theatre and Dance Dramaturgy at Utrecht University.

Jackson, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, is a creative artist and researcher whose multi-dimensional focus has earned him many accolades throughout his educational journey at the University of South Florida.

He is an accomplished dance scholar and choreographer who explores issues of identity and disenfranchised communities through solo and group choreography. His studies at Utrecht will allow him to engage in the kind of research where history, politics, culture, and social issues intersect, while centering dance as a facilitator for social change in the LGBTQ+ community.

Pursuing this MA is a part of Jackson’s professional and creative journey toward using dance for activism and social change.

LARRY GRULLON-POLANCO

A recent graduate from the USF College of Arts and Sciences, Larry has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan.

Larry, who graduated with his master’s degree in Applied Linguistics TESOL, previously served as a music teacher and music director and is currently a language tutor at USF. He received the USF Gratitude Scholarship in Applied Linguistics and has served as a volunteer for the Hispanic Services Council.

Larry has been learning Chinese for six years and has a deep appreciation for Chinese literature, religion, and history. Most of his Chinese teachers have been Taiwanese and has naturally gotten close to them as they have practiced conversation and talked about their lives, interests, and culture. For years, he has attended and volunteered at his local Taiwanese Buddhist Temple in Tampa, FL.

Larry is excited to teach in a variety of placement levels in Taiwan and is looking forward to visiting the Buddhist Temple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

MOLLY SCHILLIG

A recent graduate from the USF College of Arts and Sciences, Molly has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea.

Molly, who graduated with her master’s degree in Applied Linguistics TESOL, has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant while at USF. She has taught previously in local preschools and middle schools and has also served as a teaching assistant for a vacation bible school and a library volunteer.

She is eager and excited to return to South Korea (where she taught previously during the height of the pandemic in 2020), through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, for a fully immersive classroom and host community experience. She will engage in her host community through language exchanges.

TAYLOR HERMAN

A recent graduate from the USF College of Arts and Sciences and the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Taylor has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Moldova.

Taylor, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in political science, served as the Lieutenant Governor for our St. Petersburg campus branch of Student Government and is a member of the Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay Chamber. She has also interned for local Congresswoman Kathy Castor and studied abroad last summer on a program to Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, focused on the Holocaust.

Taylor’s academic and professional connections to Moldova are based on her current engagement with Moldovan university students. She has served as a research assistant for Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, who is a previous Fulbright Scholar to Moldova. In Moldova, Taylor is excited to teach English and American culture to university level students. She will immerse herself in Moldovan culture through volunteering at a local organization that supports victims of domestic violence and through music, as she plays the trombone and is a jazz enthusiast.

If you are interested in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, contact the Office of National Scholars' USF Fulbright Program Advisor, Lauren Chambers.