Senior French and Political Science major named Fulbright finalist

Samantha Wilson, a senior at McDaniel College, has been named a Fulbright finalist for an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in the West African nation of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast.

Wilson of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., is a double major in French and Political Science with a specialization in International Studies.

On applying for a Fulbright to Côte d'Ivoire, she said, “I wanted to challenge myself in my language skills and was particularly interested in enhancing my experiences as a citizen diplomat. I also want to play a part in helping young Ivoirians work towards their goals and decided to choose a country in which I could make a local impact.” 

At McDaniel, she has served on the College’s Honor and Conduct Board, as a first-year peer mentor and as a writing center tutor. In addition, she is a member of Phi Sigma Iota foreign languages, Pi Sigma Alpha political science and Order of Omega Greek leadership honor societies.

As a Global Fellow at McDaniel, she studied abroad in France during the spring of her junior year and in Morocco with the America’s Unofficial Ambassadors program during the summer following her sophomore year. She has participated in conferences in Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as traveled to Peru for “The Forest Online,” an interdisciplinary course at McDaniel, during the College’s Jan Term in 2016 and 2018.

Currently a project intern for Wild Forests and Fauna, an environmental conservation nonprofit, Wilson’s future plans are to pursue a career with a nonprofit or in law utilizing her passion for the environment and women’s rights. She hopes to focus on international community development, with an emphasis on creating sustainable solutions between the environment and the community.

This is the fifth consecutive year that McDaniel has had a Fulbright recipient. A total of 11 McDaniel students have ever been awarded a Fulbright scholarship.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the Department of State, is the largest American international exchange program with approximately 8,000 grants awarded annually. More than 380,000 participants from over 160 countries have participated in the Fulbright program since 1946.