Three Seaver College Alumni Awarded Fulbright Fellowships
Three Seaver College alumni – Catherine Munzar, Lauren Whittington, and Emily Lucente – received prestigious Fulbright fellowships for the 2022–2023 year. Each will serve as English Teaching Assistants (ETA), Munzar in the Czech Republic, Whittington in the Slovak Republic, and Lucente in South Korea.
Catherine Munzar received her bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics. As she prepares to begin teaching English in the Czech Republic, she’ll draw on prior teaching experience through Jumpstart, an Americorps program focused on preschoolers, and Kinderreich, an afterschool center she volunteered at while studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. Coming from a Czech household, Munzar has often acted as a cultural ambassador for the Czech Republic in the United States. She looks forward to reversing this role and creating connection with her students through both her Czech and American backgrounds.
Majoring in history and minoring in religion, Lauren Whittington was a dedicated student during her time at Pepperdine. She worked as a teaching assistant for an upper-level humanities class, completed the Social Action and Justice Colloquium, and mentored students preparing to study abroad through Pepperdine’s International Programs. Whittington remained involved even during the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning, helping to produce the virtual Songfest in 2021. While abroad, she intends to form a club for students to discuss the culture and traditions of both the Slovak Republic and America, which she hopes will foster greater empathy and a more global perspective among her students.
Lastly, Emily Lucente earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater acting, while completing the Global Fellows and Strauss School of Law Conflict Management Certificate program. As an undergraduate, she accrued numerous types of educational field experiences, serving as a teacher’s assistant for Americorps and Pepperdine’s Astronomy division. Beyond academics, Lucente was an active member of Seaver College’s club community. She served on Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropy committee, participated in the RISE program, and mentored students in the Big Brother Big Sister program while she was abroad in Florence. During her time in South Korea, Lucente hopes to develop a theater department that bridges language barriers and spurs on a welcoming and inclusive environment for her students.
As the largest United States exchange program, Fulbright sponsors international study, research, and teaching opportunities for over 1,000 students each year. Fulbright fellowships are highly selective, and applicants are considered for their professional, academic, and personal achievements. Seaver College seeks to not only equip Fulbright applicants with the experiences they need to be competitive but also partner with them through the application process.
More information on Fulbright and other graduate fellowships can be found on the Graduate Fellowships website.