Twenty-two University of Notre Dame students have been named finalists for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, with another seven singled out as alternates for the award. The finalists include 18 undergraduate students and four graduate students.

Established in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers students and young professionals from all backgrounds the opportunity to study or teach abroad with support from the U.S. government.

In applying for the award, undergraduate students work closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) and graduate students with the Graduate School’s Office of Grants and Fellowships.

"Given the headwinds of this year's Fulbright cycle, including funding uncertainty and later final notifications, Mathilda Nassar, Emily Buika Hunt and I are incredibly proud of our students for their grit and ultimate success,” said Elise Rudt-Moorthy, associate director of national fellowships at CUSE. “It was an honor working with everyone throughout the summer and fall, and we would like to thank all the faculty and alumni who helped with advising.”

Michael Skalski, associate program director in the Office of Grants and Fellowships, said, “We are very proud of and congratulate all our Fulbrighters this year. Our fellows worked hard and diligently on their applications, so we have the utmost confidence that they will represent Notre Dame and the U.S. in the best way possible in their host countries.”

The finalists are:

Undergraduate

• Aria Bossone, American studies and peace studies (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Spain

• Charlotte Cardarella, honors anthropology and Arabic, English teaching assistantship to Spain

• Mary Kate Cashman, political science and peace studies (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Kosovo

• Eva Garces-Foley, anthropology, peace studies (supplemental) and Spanish (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Spain

• Juliet Hare, political science, global affairs (supplemental with a concentration in international peace studies) and French (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Luxembourg

• Ethan Harned, psychology and pre-health studies (supplemental), Fulbright-Nehru open study/research award to India

• Sarah Hui, program of liberal studies and theology, open study/research award to Italy

• Joseph Kositzke, American studies, English teaching assistantship to Spain

• Joseph Lufti, American studies and Arabic, English teaching assistantship to Georgia

• Leslie Martin, global affairs and Latino studies (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Colombia

• Matthew McCollum, honors international economics, English teaching assistantship to Germany

• Maria Murinova, program of liberal studies, English teaching assistantship to the Slovak Republic

• Margaret O’Brien, political science and Italian (supplemental with a concentration in Irish studies), English teaching assistantship to Italy

• Jasmine Peña Ramirez, political science and Latino studies (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to South Korea

• Theresa Salazar, preprofessional studies and theology (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Spain

• Alexandra Sutton, political science, English teaching assistantship to Lithuania

• Sarah Van Hollebeke, political science and German, English teaching assistantship to Germany

• Juliet Webb, anthropology and peace studies (supplemental), English teaching assistantship to Senegal

Graduate

• Christopher Cirelli, master of education (Alliance for Catholic Education) English teaching assistantship to Italy

• Montana Garcia, master of education (Alliance for Catholic Education), English teaching assistantship to Malta

• Nicholas Herrud, history, open study/research award to Lithuania

• Natasha Rodgers, French and Francophone studies, English teaching assistantship to Mauritius

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on July 29, 2025.