UNA undergrad is college’s 15th Fulbright recipient since 2017

FLORENCE – James Wiegmann of Huntsville, a foreign languages major at the University of North  Alabama, has been named a U.S. student Fulbright recipient by the U.S. State Department and Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. He is UNA’s 15th recipient since 2017. 

“These students are exceptional among our already dedicated student population,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Their success is UNA’s success, and Dr. Matt Price has been a  champion of theirs and all of our premier award-winning students as they embrace their careers and goals which have been made even more attainable through their Fulbright experiences.” 

Wiegmann will be studying in Germany, teaching English and participating in cultural experiences. He said UNA and Fulbright are helping  prepare him for his future. 

“Both UNA and Fulbright create strong connections with other professionals in my career field,” he said. “Whether it is my connections to the language professors and other teachers of language in Florence and Muscle Shoals (City) Schools or my colleagues and friends I will meet working in Germany, these connections will provide me with valuable opportunities for personal growth and professional development.

“Both the experience and the connections will guide me into a successful teaching career.” 

Price, director of the Center for Premier Awards and Scholarly Engagement, has guided  each of UNA’s 15 Fulbright student recipients through the process.  

“Each student has brought something unique to the program,” he said. “From theater to their passion for languages and learning, UNA’s Fulbright student recipients have been engaged and culturally emersed as a result of their experiences abroad.” 

Mollie Schaefer-Thompson was UNA’s first Fulbright student recipient; she graduated in 2017. She lived and studied in the Czech Republic.

“Fulbright opened doors,” she said. “Living abroad stands out on a resume and inevitably comes up in interviews. But the real value of the experience is harder to quantify. In an age defined by difference, curiosity about others has helped me sustain relationships, make new friends, and stay open to new experiences.

“While in the Czech Republic, I often felt like an ambassador, not just of America, but of Alabama, specifically.” 

From Germany to the Czech Republic to Greece, UNA’s student Fulbright recipients have  become de facto ambassadors for the University as well. 

“The entire process of applying for a Fulbright Fellowship through UNA was formative for me as a young adult academically, professionally, and personally,” said Candice Fawcett. “I vividly remember going to one of Dr. Price’s Fulbright interest meetings in my early days as a grad student. I didn’t really know much about Fulbright, but the idea of living and learning across the globe gave me a jolt in my heart.

“I had never even left the country at the time. Now, I’ve been to (more than) 15 countries and 11 islands, and I continue to travel as much as possible. From the diligence that the application and interview process taught me, the patience honed from waiting to go to Greece once awarded, to the actual lived experience of being immersed in a completely  different culture, the Fellowship expanded me as a person and professional in more ways than I can count.”