Blair Turner ’25 and Ellie Song ’24 have been awarded prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for 2025-2026. Having two Fulbright recipients in a single year marks an exciting first for Hollins and builds on the momentum of last year’s milestone, when the university celebrated its first undergraduate Fulbright recipient in many years. Together, these achievements represent a new high point in Hollins’ commitment to global engagement and academic excellence.
“Our Hollins Fulbright scholars are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions in the communities they will serve and to foster cross-cultural understanding,” said Laura A. McLary, Nora Kizer Bell Provost. “Beyond their year abroad, they join a prestigious global network that offers them continued opportunities for learning, research, and connection around the world.”
“Two Hollins students as Fulbright Scholars is a powerful testament to their dedication and to the faculty and community who have supported and inspired them,” says Hollins President Mary Dana Hinton. “We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and look forward to the impact they’ll have on the world.”
What are the Fulbright Scholars Doing?
Beginning in September, Turner, who received a B.S. in environmental science, will travel to Tbilisi, Georgia, to join a global research team at the Agricultural School of Georgia. Her Fulbright research will focus on grapevine resistance to Plasmopara viticola, the pathogen that causes downy mildew, a disease that can devastate table grape crops worldwide. Other countries like Israel and Georgia have developed resistant grape varieties, and Turner’s work will support ongoing global efforts to cross those with non-resistant species to create more resilient vines.
Turner’s path to this opportunity began in 2023 as a Cornell AgriTech Summer Research Scholar. That experience led to further work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including her current role as a biological science technician at the Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, West Virigina. There, she met her Fulbright mentor, Nana Bitsadze, a Georgian plant pathologist who studies the ancient Saperavi grape variety — a variety native to Georgia, the “birthplace of wine.”
A self-described “plant mom” with more than 60 houseplants, Turner initially intended to return to Ecuador, where she studied climate change and plant ecosystems during a Hollins J-Term. But before her senior year, she pivoted her Fulbright proposal to focus on viticulture — an intellectual shift supported by faculty and Fulbright advisor Jeanne Jégousso.
“Being a Fulbright Scholar sets me up for the next step,” says Turner. “It strengthens my research skills and grounds me in what I want to study in graduate school. I’m also excited to experience other cultures — especially in Georgia, the motherland of wine. I’ll carry this knowledge with me for the rest of my life.”
Song was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Cambodia, a country close to her heart. She had previously taught English as a high school student — an experience that deepened her passion for cross-cultural connection and the shared history between Cambodia and her South Korean heritage.
In 2024, Song spent the school year teaching English in Santander, Spain through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP), run by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Her NALCAP experience ran from October 2024 to June 2025, further shaping her desire to work closely with diverse communities.
While Song had the opportunity to extend her time teaching abroad through the Fulbright program, she ultimately decided to pursue a healthcare career, drawing on her background as an English major with a strong foundation in biology. She is now enrolled in UCLA’s MSN program in nursing.
Song’s Fulbright selection and teaching abroad experiences affirm the deeper thread that ties her passions together — education, service, and cultural humility: “Both teaching and nursing are acts of trust,” she wrote in her Fulbright application. “The ability to relate and adapt in cross-cultural environments matters — whether you’re teaching in Cambodia or supporting patients and training nurses in a hospital.”
“I really like the human and interactive parts of nursing,” adds Song, who is considering working in pediatrics, a choice inspired by her just-finished abroad experience.
Natté Fortier ’24, Hollins’ first undergraduate Fulbright Scholar, has been in Madrid, Spain, working in global classrooms to coach students in Model United Nations. Read more about Fortier’s Fulbright and Hollins journey.
Building a Fulbright Culture
Since taking the lead on Fulbright advising in January 2024, assistant professor of French Jeanne Jégousso has transformed how Hollins supports and prepares student applicants. Working closely with departments and faculty across campus, she has doubled the number of applicants in just one year by demystifying the process and expanding outreach — starting as early as a student’s first year.
“As co-director of undergraduate research and fellowships, Dr. Jégousso brings deep expertise and experience to this work,” explains McLary. “Her commitment to global learning motivates how she mentors students applying for Fulbright grants.”
“We have many strong candidates at Hollins — they just don’t always know it,” says Jégousso, whose own global journey began as a French teaching assistant in the U.S. “Spending a year in a foreign country changed my trajectory and opened my mind to many things that I had never considered, like getting my master’s and Ph.D. I want our students to have the same opportunity — to live in a different culture, learn a different language, discover new possibilities, and open doors they didn’t know existed.”
Jégousso’s approach is both strategic and personal. She hosts information sessions, sends targeted communications, and connects individually with every recommended student. She also emphasizes Fulbright’s accessibility: the program is fully funded, with no minimum GPA or prior travel experience required.
She sets clear expectations for applicants, guiding them through a structured timeline with early drafts and committee reviews. “Breaking it into manageable steps makes the application feel achievable,” she adds.
“What I love most is working one-on-one with students from start to finish — guiding them throughout their projects and watching their excitement when they finally hit ‘submit,’” Jégousso reflects. “I get to learn about different countries, fields, and passions, and I gain a deeper understanding of our students beyond my usual focus on French literature.”
Despite uncertainty around federal funding for the 2026 Fulbright cohort, Jégousso is currently advising nine applicants, ranging from current students to alumnae/i, who are pursuing projects in Madagascar, South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, and France. She’s hopeful funding will be restored and that Hollins will soon average 10 applicants per year — momentum that is gaining national attention.
