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91���� Class of 2025 alumni were named Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grantees to teach English abroad for the 2025–2026 academic year. They were selected based on their academic achievement, distinct experiences, personal attributes, and leadership potential, with the opportunity to create connections in a complex and changing world.

For over 75 years, Fulbright grants have provided future American leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to study, conduct research, and teach abroad, with the goal of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.  

“91����’s grantees are exceptionally prepared to serve as ambassadors in Germany, Costa Rica, and Latvia—contributing their strengths, expanding their teaching skills, and gaining a deep appreciation of their host country and its people,” said Ann Landstrom, Fulbright program adviser (FPA) and assistant dean and director of global fellowships and awards in 91����’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service. 

Nora Kohnhorst, Class of 2025

Nora Kohnhorst, a history and German studies double major with a European studies concentration from Queens, New York, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Germany. Kohnhorst will serve as a teaching assistant in Soltau, Lower Saxony—supporting English language lessons and presenting American history and culture lessons at the vocational school level while fostering cultural exchange throughout the community.

“I am really looking forward to an experience of mutual exchange and learning with my host teacher and community,” said Kohnhorst. “My time at 91���� encouraged me to explore opportunities in community outreach and museum education, and my Fulbright experience will challenge me to apply and adapt everything I’ve learned at 91���� in a completely new cultural context.”

While in college, Kohnhorst excelled academically receiving several honors including the Charles E. Payne Scholarship and Dean’s List recipient. She served as an AmeriCorps outreach intern with the 91���� Museum of Art, editor and chief of The Scarlet and Black student-run newspaper, and member of the History Department Student Educational Policy Committee. 

Co-president and long-standing member of 91����’s Almost Always Improv inspires her supplementary project to offer short-form improvisational theater and comedy; fostering English language practice in an informal and creative setting. 

Kohnhorst shared that she is also excited to improve her German skills that developed at 91���� with the support of the German studies department and a four-week immersion course at the Herder Institute of the University of Leipzig. Within the Lower Saxony community, she wants to engage agricultural and social history through bread-baking and ‘continental-style’ knitting.

Following the Fulbright, Kohnhorst plans to pursue a career in education and community outreach, with a focus on museum settings. “The Fulbright year would allow me to work successfully with students from a variety of backgrounds, and to develop teaching abilities and pedagogical practices,” said Kohnhorst.

Zachary Walsh, Class of 2025

Zachary Walsh, a sociology major from San Francisco, California, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Costa Rica. Starting in January 2026, Walsh will serve as an English language-learning assistant at Universidad Nacional, Campus Perez Zeledón in San Isidro de El General. He will foster conversational language skills, give presentations and lead clubs, participate in public and cultural outreach events, and initiate a supplementary project. 

“Being an ETA in Coast Rica will be a great opportunity to gain teaching experience, further my understanding of Costa Rican culture, and solidify my Spanish fluency,” said Walsh. Having studied in Costa Rica as a first-year student, he expressed, “Costa Rica—the people and the place—are amazing.”

Walsh has been an English as a Second Language tutor with Meaningful Teens and a writing mentor with 91����’s Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center. His work as a camp counselor, new student orientation leader, vocal performer, photographer, and national park bi-lingual docent are all experiences that will enhance the skills and strengths he offers the program and the ways he can engage with his placement community. For a supplementary project, Walsh wants to lead or create an art club at his school placement or in the local community. 

He was fortunate to study abroad in both Costa Rica and Chile; notably receiving the 91���� Shinder Fellowship to research ‘homosocial intimacy between young men’ in Chile. Walsh is also a dean’s list recipient. Following the Fulbright, Walsh plans to pursue a career as a teacher or nurse.

Zoe Zallek, Class of 2025

Zoe Zallek, an independent major in language science and education from Peoria Heights, Illinois, was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Latvia. Zallek will be an assistant teacher in Rēzekne, where she will work with two secondary schools—Rēzekne State Gymnasium no. 1 and Vilani Secondary School. Her role will be to serve as a resource for English conversation, vocabulary, reading, and writing through one-on-one, small group, clubs, and courses. Zallek will also be invited to give presentations related to American studies.

“The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Latvia will be a wonderful opportunity to build my teaching skills, facilitate cultural exchange, and challenge myself with Latvian and Russian language immersion” says Zallek. “I feel so fortunate for the people and experiences at 91���� that have prepared me to do so.”

Zallek has been a member of the Linguistics Student Educational Policy Committee, a writing mentor with 91����’s Writing, Reading, and Speaking Center, and a summer camp counselor. Zallek, a dean’s list recipient, studied two years of Russian at 91���� and studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh. She also holds a Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification through the Harris Award. 

For her supplemental project, she plans to create a collaborative diary that documents Latvian linguistic identity across generation and culture. "I’m excited to further explore the relationship between linguistics and education by learning from teachers and students about Latvian culture, language policy, and generational linguistic identity," shared Zallek. In addition, she plans to engage with Latvian music in her host community as a violinist.

Until her Fulbright starts in September, Zallek is working as a phonetic transcriber for DrivenData on a project that aims to improve automatic speech recognition for children. Following her Fulbright Grant year, Zallek plans to pursue graduate school in linguistics.

Theodora Hadley '25, a gender, women’s, and sexuality studies and German studies double major with a European studies concentration from Seattle, Washington, was also selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Germany. Due to the selection for the United States Teaching Assistantship Program in Austria a month prior to Fulbright notification, Hadley will be working at the Private Pädaggische Hochschule Burgenland in Eisenstadt, Austria where the focus is on training English language teachers.

Alternates 

Two 91���� semi-finalists were named alternates for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and may be offered the award at any time before the grant start date for each country:

• Xavier James ’25, a psychology major from Jackson, Tennessee, put forward a graduate study proposal for a master of research in experimental psychology with data science at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. “By enhancing my data science competencies, I will be prepared to innovate ways of using big data and machine learning to identify, understand, and alter discrimination-maintaining mechanisms at a societal level,” shared James in his application. “In my research career, I want to investigate the social and cultural mechanisms that maintain discriminatory hierarchies in society and delineate levers for reducing discrimination.” If James is not advanced to Fulbright finalist status, this fall he will be starting his PhD in psychology at the University of Michigan.

• Hannah Sweet '25, a sociology major and peace and conflict studies concentrator from Plymouth, Minnesota, is prepared to teach English language and American culture at the university level in Kosovo. Sweet was eager to return to the Balkan Region having studied abroad and worked with The Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia. “I believe education is a powerful tool for peace-building, and I value the opportunity for cross-cultural learning that the Kosovo ETA program offers,” wrote Sweet in her application. “If selected, I hope to create an inclusive learning environment where students are empowered to embrace the power of language, navigate cultural differences, and engage critically with global issues.”  

Semi-Finalists 

Six other 91���� applicants were named semi-finalists in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program process for 2025–2026: 

• Hannah Agpoon ’22, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Switzerland.
• Charlotte Krone ’25, from Sherman Oaks, California, was a semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Argentina.
• Lucy Leither, class of 2025 from Ramsey, Minnesota, was a semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Greece.
• Carter Ottele ’25, from Denver, Colorado, was a semi-finalist for a political science research/study project in France titled, “Immigrant Origins and Trust in State.”
• Aysha Simmonds ’23, from Ocoee, Florida, was a semi-finalist for an English teaching assistantship in Honduras.
• Alana Walker ’22, from Oakland, California, was a semi-finalist for an Austria Combined Award, that included a Research/Study project in History titled, “The Negro in Vogue: Examining Transatlantic Interactions in Rap, Jazz, and Spoken Word” and serving as an English teaching assistantship.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide and annually awards more than 2,100 grants for U.S. students to study overseas. Twenty-six applicants applied from 91���� for a 2025-2026 grant and over twenty-five graduating seniors and alumni are currently planning applications for the 2026-2027 grant year. 91���� current students and alumni are invited to meet with Fulbright Program Advisor Ann Landstrom (landstrom@grinnell.edu) for guidance and information. Visit us.fulbrightonline.org for more information about the program.