UofL students continue to earn prestigious international scholarships

Manuela and Noela Botaka, twin sisters born in Kinshasa, Congo, do many things together. They both graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2019 and both were Martin Luther King Scholars. Now, they are the first twins at UofL to each earn Fulbright scholarships.

Manuela’s Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship is one of nine Fulbright awards won by UofL graduates or graduate students for 2021-22. The 2019 graduate, who has a bachelor of arts in biology, is headed to Belgium, where her sister traveled on a Fulbright research scholarship last year. The sisters grew up in Lexington.

 “I feel so honored to have the chance to be a part of students' educational journeys and help them to strengthen their understanding of the English language, which will in no doubt open even more doors for them,” Manuela said. “I'm also excited to engage with the Belgian community and then learn more about the Belgian Congo, as it relates to my Congolese identity.”

[caption id="attachment_45378" align="alignleft" width="300"] Noela and Manuela Botaka smile in this photo of MLK Scholars at a community service event. Back row standing: Nuri Thompson. Middle row: Erica Gaither, Noela Botaka, Manuela Botaka. Front row: Taylor Hinna Williams, Elizabeth Peña, Elijah Ervin.[/caption]

Since 2003, UofL has produced 150 Fulbright winners, more than all other Kentucky higher education institutions combined.

In addition, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, given to one college junior in Kentucky each year, was awarded to UofL student Lexi Raikes in April.

“The winners of these prestigious scholarships will have opportunities abroad that will change their lives and promote international understanding,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “These students are the best of the best, and I am awestruck by their hard work and dedication to furthering their education. I also thank our staff members who helped these students win these opportunities.”

The other Fulbright winners are:

• Shakeyrah Elmore, of Columbus, Ohio, who will study postpartum depression in Jamaican women at the University of the West Indies Caribbean Institute for Health Research in Kingston, Jamaica. She is a graduate student in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
• Claire Gothard, of Louisville, who earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Morocco.
• Macey Higdon, of Owensboro, Kentucky, who earned a graduate award to pursue a master's degree at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, in biology of physical activity.
• Kyle Landis, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, who earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Madrid, Spain.
• Rolandson Le, of Louisville, who earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan.
• Madeline McCloud, of Worthington, Kentucky, who also earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan.
• Reagan Miller, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, who earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Morocco.
• Hannah White, of Eddyville, Kentucky, who earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Galicia, Spain.

The Fulbright Program, administered by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program.

Other students awarded prestigious academic scholarships are:

[caption id="attachment_53769" align="alignleft" width="191"] Isabella Martin[/caption]

Isabella Martin—Boren Scholarship. She plans to study Russian in Estonia. Boren Scholarships, sponsored by the National Security Education Program, provide undergraduate and graduate students up to $25,000 to study abroad in languages and regions of interest to U.S. national security.

Will Randolph—English Speaking Union-Kentucky Branch Scholarship. He will use the award this summer to study modern Scottish at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. The English-Speaking Union of the United States is a non-profit, non-political, educational service organization whose mission is to promote scholarship and the advancement of knowledge through the effective use of English in an expanding global community.

[caption id="attachment_53771" align="alignright" width="225"] Will Randolph[/caption]

Liz Turner—Mary Churchill Humphrey Scholarship. Liz, a May 2021 graduate with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish, will pursue a master’s degree at Aga Khan University in London, United Kingdom.

[caption id="attachment_53772" align="alignleft" width="225"] Liz Turner[/caption]

Madeline Martinez—Delta Scholars Program. This program is for students who attend college in the Mississippi Delta region who are interested in community service and social justice. Madeline, a sophomore nursing major, will attend a 10-day summer program at Mississippi State University and a five-day fall program at Harvard University.

More on these scholars can be found online here.