Our Fulbright Scholar

McKendree is proud to announce Naeelah Chism ’19 has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grant to teach English in Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city in 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 receive grants to study, teach English or conduct research in more than 160 countries.

Naeelah became interested in Malaysia after learning about its Vision 2020 plan underway to help the country achieve fully developed nation status. “The country hopes to develop in a variety of areas, including economic development, sustainability, strengthening infrastructure, improving well-being for all, and enhancing inclusiveness toward an equitable society,” she said. “I found this most interesting about Malaysia.”

Fulbright recipients are chosen based on their academic merit and leadership qualities. Naeelah received the University’s 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in gender and legal studies. When she returns home next year, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy.