Record-setting 13 Fulbright recipients top list of student scholar honors for 2022 — so far

Three years ago, Baylor set a school record when seven Bears earned prestigious Fulbright scholarships — part of the nation’s flagship program for international graduate study and education.

This year, Baylor students are blowing that record out of the water. An incredible 13 BU students have already been named Fulbright recipients for 2022 — a number likely to place Baylor among the top producers of Fulbright scholars nationwide, and a total that might still be growing.

In addition to the 13 Fulbright honorees, Baylor also has its first Truman Scholar since 2007, a Goldwater Scholar for the fifth straight year, a Churchill Scholar, and two Critical Language Scholars — and the spring awards season isn’t over yet.

While we wait for the final, complete list of honorees, here’s a rundown of the winners we already know about:

• Gloria Conatser (senior), a secondary social studies major from Waco, earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) to Germany.
• Mina Dwumfour-Poku (senior), a biology major from Sunnyvale, Texas, earned a Critical Language Scholarship and plans to study Swahili in Tanzania.
• Tashi Flaig (BA ’18), a language and linguistics major from Waco won a Fulbright ETA to Colombia.
• Ashlyn Freemyer (senior), a University Scholar from Woodway, Texas, earned a Fulbright ETA to Bulgaria.
• Olivia Gorrell (senior), an applied music/German major, from Belton, Texas, won a Fulbright ETA to Germany.
• Courtney Haubert (senior), a philosophy/psychology major from Dublin, Calif., earned a Fulbright ETA to Bulgaria.
• Preston Iha (senior), a religion major from Honolulu, earned a Fulbright ETA to Timor-Leste.
• Andrew Kim (senior), a University Scholar from The Woodlands, Texas, won a Fulbright ETA to Taiwan.
• Arvind Muruganantham (senior), a biology major from Fremont, Calif., will utilize his Goldwater Scholarship to pursue an MD/PhD in stem cell biology.
• Raquel Nunez, a master’s candidate in Spanish from Conroe, Texas, earned a Fulbright ETA to Brazil.
• Uchechukwu Oguchi (senior), a University Scholar from The Woodlands, Texas, won a Critical Language Scholarship and plans to study Arabic in Oman through a virtual program.
• Saawan Patel (senior), a Baylor Business Fellow from Pasadena, Texas, earned a Fulbright ETA to Montenegro.
• Veronica Bonifacio Penales (senior), an international studies/professional writing & rhetoric major from Shreveport, La., earned a Truman Scholarship and plans to attend law school.
• Kate Rojales (senior), a chemistry major from Milton, Ga., will utilize a Churchill Scholarship to pursue a master’s in chemistry at the University of Cambridge.
• Nathan Rowan (senior), a statistics/sociology major from Phoenix, won a Fulbright Study/Research Award to Denmark.
• Gloria Smith, a master’s candidate in Spanish from Plano, Texas, earned a Fulbright ETA to Brazil.
• Alexandra Tyra, a doctoral candidate in psychology from Phoenix, won a Fulbright Study/Research Award to the United Kingdom.
• Camille Watson (senior), a University Scholar, Russian and Professional Writing & Rhetoric major from Kandern, Germany, earned a Fulbright ETA to Azerbaijan.

“This year’s success offers further proof that Baylor is indeed fulfilling its mission to educate for worldwide leadership and service,” says Dr. Andrew Hogue (MA ’05, PhD ’09), head of Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning, which helps students navigate application for such honors. “We are proud to fling our green and gold afar by sending these remarkable Baylor Bears to all corners of the globe…

“It’s important to note that behind every one of these students, you will also find a group of dedicated faculty and staff who have believed in them, mentored them, taught them, and served them,” continues Hogue. “This is the hallmark of a Baylor education, and it’s highly unusual among our peers at Research 1 universities — world-class faculty producing at high levels while pouring heart and soul into helping their students flourish.”

Sic ’em, Bears!