Bridging cultures through knowledge

For Alex Dwornikowski, the 2025 Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a chance to experience something new in the place where his life began. The University of Delaware alumnus was born in Kazakhstan, adopted as an infant, raised in the United States and is now set to embark on a 10-month English teaching assistantship journey in his native country.

"I want a teaching career at the university level, and this experience will help me build my confidence, both personally and professionally," said Dwornikowski, who earned his honors bachelor's degree in Asian studies in 2024 and will begin his Fulbright experience this month. "I'm also looking forward to personally connecting with my heritage, being able to learn and experience it."

He is one of five UD students and alumni in the Fulbright program this year. Three others will teach, and one will conduct research, all in countries they've never visited before.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges. In the past two years, UD has been named a Top Producer of Fulbrights for students and professors.

Zoey Avery, a graduate student studying art conservation, will travel internationally for the first time to study for a year in the Netherlands. She chose to study in the Netherlands because of the high-quality research in art conservation that the country is known for.

"A lot of the best art conservationist research is coming from the Netherlands, so it's an honor to learn more from them," Avery said. "I've learned under others who have been trained there, and it changed their perspective, so I'm excited to experience it for myself - looking forward to improving my hand skills and analytic methods."

Donovan Aldridge will lean on his previous teaching experience in Grenada next spring when he begins his Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Brazil. Aldridge, a UD alumnus with a bachelor's and master's in Spanish studies, said that he has been surrounded by educators his entire life, which laid the foundation for teaching and language acquisition to become his passions.

"Both allow me to be a part of something that is bigger than myself," he said. "It's an incredible honor that I get to do this work as a Fulbright Scholar, and I can't wait to immerse myself in Brazilian culture. I'm filled with gratitude."

As a teenager on a 14-hour train ride in China, Emma Knapp, a UD alumna with an honors bachelor's degree in international relations and philosophy, was exposed to the power of language through music as it was one of the only ways that she was able to communicate with other passengers. That experience influenced her desire to explore other cultures and speak other languages. Knapp, a UD World Scholar, was paired with a Colombian student who was learning English, and that connection was the catalyst for Knapp to go to Colombia for her English teaching assistantship.

"The point of the Fulbright Scholarship is to foster intercultural connections," Knapp said. "I am looking forward to teaching English and sharing American culture while also improving my fluency in Spanish. For fun, I want to take salsa classes!"

Ayla Wallace, also a UD World Scholar, became interested in regional politics after a study abroad experience. Wallace, a UD alumna with a bachelor's in international relations and public policy, is now eager to begin her English teaching assistantship in Malta.

"I'm drawn to Malta's education system because it grapples with the challenge of being a small island that also has a large influx of diverse people," Wallace said. "Maltese and English are the predominant languages in Malta, but there are also many people who speak neither of the languages. I am looking forward to using my experience to fulfill this significant need."

Wallace was hesitant to apply for the Fulbright scholarship but is proud of herself for doing it.

"I want people to know this: If you see something that you want, go for it," Wallace said. "There are so many resources available at UD - ask for the meeting, be willing to start the conversation."

All Fulbrighters expressed gratitude for the support that they received from UD's Office of National Fellowship, their professors and UD mentors during the lengthy application process.