University Celebrates Fellowship Applicants at Chancellor’s Reception

By Leigh DuPuy

"I was doubting myself--and this was a very personally fulfilling experience," said Yung Mey (James) Ng of the long but rewarding process of applying for a graduate fellowship. Ng, an applicant for a Fulbright in Taiwan, was one of three students to share their academic goals at the Chancellor’s Annual Reception for Applicants for Major Fellowships, held on December 3.

"These candidates are marked by outstanding academic achievements that were reflected in their ambition and persistence in the application process," praised Monica McAlpine, director of the University Honors Program. In the past few years, the program has seen five of its students win prestigious Fulbright and Marshall fellowships. "It is a testament to the fact that UMass Boston students can compete at high, national levels," says McAlpine.

Not only in their aspirations to study abroad, the fellowship applicants share many bonds that speak to the unique dedication of UMass Boston students. The four applicants for Fulbright fellowships are all transfer students who have pursued economics and/or political science majors while working substantial hours in a full- or part-time capacity.

"It was a great opportunity to learn time management," remarked Bonnie McManus on balancing her many commitments, which include her employment at the Office of Merit Scholarships, her current course work, and a passion for running and mountain climbing. For her Fulbright year in Canada, McManus has proposed to earn a master’s degree in economics while carrying out a research project on outcomes for women under Canada’s national health care system.

Ng agreed: "This process really helped me evaluate and focus on my long-term goal of learning Mandarin Chinese and gauge how important it is for me to go abroad. I think both the University Honors Program and the Fulbright Scholarship application really encourage us to look within ourselves." It was not a small commitment for a student who will graduate summa cum laude with a double major in economics and political science, while working full-time at a restaurant he co-owns with his older brother.

Walter Martinez was another fellowship applicant celebrating at the reception. He recently learned he had been chosen as a Minority Fellow by the American Political Science Association, which grants $4,000 a year for each year of graduate study. Martinez is one only of six fellows selected nationwide to receive the fellowship this year.

"The application process for fellowships gives students an opportunity to learn more about themselves," said Martinez, a member of the Honors Program senior class whose extracurricular achievements include volunteering as a student enrollment leader, working in the testing office of the University Advising Center, and serving as the UMass Boston chapter president of the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Martinez is unabashedly proud of his time at UMass Boston. "I came here just to get a degree and then go back to the workforce," he says, describing his initial motivation in returning to school after working ten years in the retail business. "UMass Boston changed that path. It has been an incredible experience here, and I am so lucky to have met the people here through the Honors Program, and political science department."

"We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished. I’ve always been inspired by our students," said Chancellor Jo Ann Gora at the reception. She also extended congratulations to the faculty mentors present. "I want to thank you all for being here and for your relentless encouragement."

The Fulbright applicants, including those who could not attend the reception--Katrina Kellogg who is applying for a study abroad in Peru and Alice Phoenix, who is interested in "security studies" in either Scotland or England--will receive news on their fellowships in the spring.

Ng eagerly anticipates the news, commenting in his speech, "We are such a powerful global community--we as Americans have much to lean from other countries, and this is the reason why the Fulbright is so important."

Image: Fulbright fellowship applicants Bonnie McManus and Yung Mey (James) Ng, Chancellor Jo Ann Gora, and Walter Martinez, winner of the Minority Fellow by the American Political Science Association, discuss their academic goals at the December 3 reception. (Photo by Harry Brett)

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