J.P. Gairhan, a 2019 U of A graduate, has been awarded an English teaching assistantship with the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which will allow him to teach in Botswana for the upcoming academic year.

Gairhan, a Cabot native, graduated cum laude with a degree in African and African American studies, history and political science from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. His undergraduate honors research mentor was Todd Cleveland, associate chair and director of graduate studies in history. 

Gairhan is the 94th U of A student or alumnus to be offered a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award. 

Three additional students were named alternates: Bailey Arnold (2021, information systems, magna cum laude, English teaching assistantship in South Korea); Jacob Condran (2021, history, international and global studies, and political science, summa cum laude, English teaching assistantship in Taiwan); and Jacob Huneycutt (2021, summa cum laude, history, study award, University of East Anglia). 

“The U of A prepares students for global careers that matter and helps students go into the world to make a difference,” said Curt Rom, associate dean for international education in the Graduate School. “The Fulbright program helps promote peace through cultural understanding and sharing cultural values and experiences around the world. We are proud of our students who receive Fulbright awards and become ambassadors of our university and state.”

While on campus, Gairhan was heavily involved in Associated Student Government, serving as student body president for the 2018-19 academic year. In summer 2018, he was an intern at the Amy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, where he served as a facilitator and co-teacher for the drama program at the Siyasingiza Primary School. 

After graduation, he began work as a congressional intern for the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia in Washington, D.C. In January 2020, Gairhan began a Peace Corps assignment as an English education volunteer in Kathmandu, Nepal. Before completing his pedagogical training, his Peace Corps stint was cut short when he was evacuated back to the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Currently, Gairhan works as an Americorps VISTA member with the Sunflower County Freedom Project in the Mississippi Delta, where he supervises educational programming and researches best practices for organizational development and student success. 

“I am motivated to teach English in Botswana because I believe in the intrinsic value of international exchange and education,” Gairhan said. “I hope to grow both professionally and personally through this program. Ultimately, I simply want to be of service to others. My time at the university spent learning African history, language and culture has helped prepare me for admittance to my program in Botswana. I am grateful for the history department and the African and African American studies department for their stewardship and commitment to excellence.”

In January 2021, 10 additional U of A students and recent alumni were named semi-finalists for the competition, recognizing them as some of the top applicants during a year in which the Fulbright program received a record number of applicants for U.S. Student Awards. 

The semi-finalists were:

• Alyssa Busbee (2020, childhood education; 2021, M.A.T.)
• Kelly Dundon (2014, German and marketing; 2020, M.S.W.)
• Grayson Goyer (2021, international and global studies and political science)
• Lane Justus (2019, biology, Latin American and Latino studies, political science, and Spanish, magna cum laude)
• Alexis Loyola Garcia (2019, interdisciplinary studies)
• Alexandria McLeod (2017, agricultural education, communication & technology, summa cum laude)
• Megan Rodgers (2021, international and global studies, political science, and Spanish, summa cum laude)
• Lucas Ros (2021, international and global studies, Spanish, summa cum laude)
• Kylie Stancliffe (2021, social studies education, summa cum laude)
• Rebecca Yeager (2019, childhood education, summa cum laude; 2020, M.A.T.)

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the U.S. also provide direct and indirect support. 

Students who are interested in applying for a Fulbright award, or other nationally competitive scholarships, should contact the office of nationally competitive awards at awards@uark.edu or 479-575-2716. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.