Fellowships Office Helps Students Realize Their Vision of the Ideal College Education
 
By Carie Schelfhaudt, Media Relations Writing Intern

Actor John Lithgow. Composer Philip Glass. Opera singer Renee Fleming. Economist Joseph Stiglitz. What do they all have in common? All are U.S. Fulbright Student alumni, a select group that includes heads of state, cabinet ministers, ambassadors, members of Congress, judges, heads of corporations, university presidents, journalist, artists, professors, and teachers.

Last year, five UNH students joined their ranks, winning prestigious Fulbright grants to spend the current academic year abroad -- in Germany, Namibia, Korea and Nepal. Another student recently returned from six months of study in Russia.

And they did it with the assistance of Sheila McCurdy, assistant director of the Center for International Education, who has worked for years with applicants for a Fulbright Scholarship. And now she has a colleague to coordinate and oversee applications to the many other national and international undergraduate and post-baccalaureate competitive scholarships. The new UNH Fellowships Office opened its doors last spring on the second floor of Hood House to connect strong student fellowship candidates with their faculty mentors to develop and realize the vision of an ideal college education.

“I want to ignite the passion inside students and have that passion and commitment show through on their applications,” said Robert Stiefel, coordinator and advisor of the Fellowships Office.

According to Stiefel, students compete for fellowships through highly selective national programs, such as the Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright Scholarships, the National Security Education Program (NSEP), and Carnegie Junior Fellows, among many others. Stiefel and McCurdy assist the students with the application process, which includes writing essays using appropriate language and developing clear, concise writing. The office r also invites faculty members to meet together to discuss student writing and guide students during the application process.

“The process is really exciting and creates a high energy level. It’s not about winning,” Stiefel said. “It’s about showing a passionate and intensive commitment to an intentional college education.”

As well as guiding undergraduate and graduate students in their quest for future academic funding, the Fellowships Office encourages an intentional college education beginning in a student’s first year. The office works closely with the Office of Admissions and freshman orientation programs, in collaboration with other campus-wide offices and departments, to spread awareness and act as a catalyst for a cohesive learning experience.

Stiefel recommends that students get to know at least one professor a semester on a personal level, participate in a research assistantship or internship, and go away for a summer or semester in order to immerse oneself in a new cultural setting.

As other American universities have demonstrated, a centralized fellowships office will enhance the international reputation of UNH as a school of scholarship. “We need to show the world the high quality of our students through the focused efforts of an efficient and coordinated office,” Stiefel said.