An outstanding group of five Clemson University students and one alumna have been selected for Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistant awards, nationally competitive scholarships that support teaching and cultural exchange abroad.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through academic and cultural exchange. English Teaching Assistants support English instruction in host-country classrooms while serving as cultural ambassadors for the United States.
Recipients are chosen based on academic achievement, leadership potential and commitment to community engagement.
This marks the second consecutive year Clemson students and alumni have earned six Fulbright awards, reflecting the strength of our students and Clemson’s commitment to developing globally engaged leaders. These students exemplify the intellectual curiosity, service and cultural engagement that define the Clemson Experience, and Fulbright will give them the opportunity to make meaningful contributions in classrooms and communities around the world.
Erin DeCuir, Assistant Director of Clemson’s Office of Major Fellowships
This year’s Clemson Fulbright recipients will work in Morocco, Slovak Republic, Spain, Armenia and Taiwan, representing a range of academic disciplines and career interests united by a commitment to education, service and cultural exchange.
In addition to the six recipients, three Clemson students were named Fulbright alternates.
Sara Alkelani, a National Scholar and double major in political science and sociology from Greenville, South Carolina, was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Morocco. Morocco’s varied linguistic and cultural landscape will give Alkelani the opportunity to refine her ESL teaching skills, using photography, music and storytelling to foster classroom engagement.
While in Morocco, Alkelani plans to guide her students through creative projects that encourage storytelling, including photo essays that document family gatherings, to foster English confidence and Moroccan pride. A Syrian American and Arabic speaker, Alkelani has refined her ESL teaching skills through several experiences at Clemson, including creating and teaching a learning curriculum for Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR), an organization she co-founded on campus. A 2025 Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Alkelani has been recognized for outstanding achievement by her department, college and the University as a whole. In the future, Alkelani plans to deepen her understanding of global systems in graduate school, focusing on a master’s program in policy development before advancing to law school and a career in international policy.
Carsyn Clyburn ’25 from Rock Hill, South Carolina, earned degrees in criminal justice and English at Clemson. She was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in the Slovak Republic, where she plans to apply her skills as a former Teacher Cadet and ESL conversation partner to incorporate cultural exchange with conversation practice among Slovak English learners. She has already explored volunteer opportunities through area organizations such as American Spaces and OTI Slovakia’s TRAILS mission to identify meaningful ways to engage with local communities during her time in the Slovak Republic.
Winning a Pam Hendrix Family Scholarship in 2024 gave Clyburn the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where she gained experience navigating a new culture. A spring break visit to Bratislava sparked her interest in Slovak history and language and strengthened her commitment to cultural exchange through language education. Clyburn plans to use her Fulbright experience to share perspectives on life in the American South, learn more about Slovak culture and build valuable skills she can apply to her pursuit of a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).
Elizabeth (Mercy) Crapps, a National Scholar and biological sciences major from Tallahassee, Florida, was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in the Canary Islands in Spain. Crapps plans to use her background in fostering critical thinking, creating engaging learning environments, tailoring instruction to individuals and building trust to create a student-centered learning approach for elementary and middle school students learning English.
Crapps’ maternal family lived in Tenerife for generations before moving to the U.S. She is excited to explore her family’s cultural heritage, learn about local traditions and build community with her students in Spain. Her work tutoring fellow students and co-founding a STEM-focused nonprofit that engages middle school students through hands-on science experiments helped her develop skills in fostering critical thinking and adapting lessons to student needs. After she returns to the U.S., Crapps plans to study to become an internal medicine physician in an underserved area, working with long-term patients with complex conditions. Over time, she hopes to work for an organization such as Doctors Without Borders.
Alexandra Harrington, an Honors student and biochemistry and genetics double major with minors in Spanish studies and microbiology from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Galicia, Spain. Harrington will be working with early childhood students in plurilingual schools, helping them gain confidence in their English skills while also developing her own cross-cultural understanding and communication skills.
Serving as a tutor and mentor since high school taught Harrington how to make lessons engaging through songs, games and individualized instruction. Proficient in Spanish after learning the language throughout high school and her time at Clemson, including a five-week study abroad experience at the University of Salamanca in Castilla y Leon, Spain, Harrington plans to build a comfortable classroom environment that combines language learning with contextual learning, using classroom-based simulations that bring the language to life. When she returns to the U.S., Harrington plans to attend medical school to pursue a career as a physician, with a goal of building a medical practice rooted in compassion, clarity and teaching.
Lillian (Lilly) Judd, a world cinema major with social science cluster and religious studies minors from Aiken, South Carolina, was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Armenia. Judd’s extensive knowledge of cinema, social science and mentorship will be applied to her teaching, which will use film as a medium for merging English instruction with her students’ cultural expressions.
Judd studied abroad in the Balkans in the summer of 2024, giving her an understanding of how to engage with others through shared experiences. She also practiced teaching through film as part of a creative inquiry in film programming, where she introduced and led Q&As about films, fostering discussions that helped students develop critical thinking skills—an experience that complemented her work as a camp counselor in earlier summers. While she is in Armenia, Judd plans to create a documentary focusing on the cultural and artistic representations of the Armenian people, including their vibrant artistry. In the future, Judd plans to continue her education to teach history and film at the collegiate level.
Gianna Quatromoni, a language and international business (Chinese) major with an economics minor from Hull, Massachusetts, was selected for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Taiwan. After studying Chinese for seven years, Quatromoni plans to use her Fulbright experience to foster confidence, independence and cultural exchange among Taiwanese students learning English.
Quatromoni’s experience teaching math at an inner-city summer camp, working as a Conversation Ambassador with Chinese-speaking students at Clemson, coaching a middle school basketball league and volunteering in Taiwanese classrooms shaped her student-centered teaching philosophy focused on building trust and encouraging students to engage confidently in the classroom. While she is in Taiwan, she hopes to share her own family traditions by hosting gatherings centered around cultural exchange through food and holiday celebrations. She also plans to deepen her understanding through independent language study and participation in local sports leagues. After completing her Fulbright grant, Quatromoni plans to pursue a career dedicated advancing economic development through education and cross-cultural collaboration on a global scale.
Alternates
As alternates, these students may still receive awards before the start of the grant period next academic year.
Taylor Adams from South Windsor, Connecticut, graduated in 2024 with a political science degree. She earned alternate status for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Turkey to help students find their voices in English, while serving as a cultural bridge in one of the most geopolitically unique countries in the world. Adams is currently completing a master’s of science degree in global affairs at King’s College London, after which she will pursue a career as a political foreign service officer.
Audrey DuBois from Falls Church, Virginia, a Spanish and international health major, earned alternate status for a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Spain to delve deeper into Spanish culture by studying its historical literature and introducing students to American classics. DuBois plans to join the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Portuguese Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this summer before starting a gap year.
Catalina Santos Anzola from Duluth, Georgia, is a biomedical engineering major with a minor in electrical engineering. She earned alternate status for a Fulbright grant to pursue a master’s degree in molecular and computational biomedicine at the University of Luxembourg. Santos Anzola plans to pursue a research-focused career in a multicultural research environment.
About the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Scholarship
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals from all academic disciplines in pursuing opportunities abroad through teaching, research and graduate study. Fulbright participants engage in cultural exchange while building international connections and serving as representatives of the United States in communities around the world.
Students interested in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program or other nationally competitive programs should contact the Office of Major Fellowships at 864-656-9704 or fellowships@clemson.edu.
