Naeelah Chism Selected for Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award
McKendree University Political Science Major Will Teach in Malaysia
(LEBANON, Ill., March 28, 2019) — McKendree University senior Naeelah Chism has been
awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grant to be an English teaching assistant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 10 months.
The highly competitive Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship international
educational exchange initiative. Each year, more than 1,900 U.S. students, artists
and young professionals are offered grants to study, teach English or conduct research
in more than 160 countries.
“I was first drawn to Malaysia after learning more about the Vision 2020 plan that
is currently underway to help Malaysia achieve developed nation status by 2020,” said
Chism. “This country hopes to develop in a variety of areas and this includes economic
development, sustainability, strengthening infrastructure, improving well-being for
all, and enhancing inclusiveness toward an equitable society. I found this most interesting
about Malaysia.”
Students are chosen for the Fulbright based on their academic merit and leadership
qualities. Chism, of Fairview Heights, Ill., will graduate from McKendree University
in May with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in gender and legal
studies. She is a 2019 recipient of the university’s Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian
Award, which recognizes compassion, understanding, tolerance and participation in
service programs. She volunteers at the Christian Activity Center, is an assistant
resident director, a leader in the United Feminists group and active in the “It’s
on Us” week on campus. In 2018, she went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for sexual
health education and women’s rights.
Upon her return to the U.S., she plans to pursue a master’s degree in educational
leadership and policy.
The Fulbright Program is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational
exchange program, designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of
the U.S. and other countries. Since its inception in 1946, it has provided more than
380,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and other professionals with the opportunity
to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Fulbright
alumni include 59 Nobel Laureates, 82 Pulitzer Prize winners, 72 MacArthur Fellows,
16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and thousands of leaders across the private,
public and non-profit sectors.
The program is federally funded and overseen by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations
in more than 160 countries and the U.S. also provide direct and indirect support.
Naeelah Chism
-McK-
