Four Loyola seniors receive distinguished Fulbright Awards

Four Loyola seniors—Christina Guerra, ’23, Isis Santoni Morro, ’23, Mary Velazquez, ’23, and Anna Young, ’23—were awarded prestigious Fulbright Awards to spend one year abroad.

"Loyola’s application process for Fulbright is quite rigorous, and I am thrilled that Fulbright will send four Loyola graduates overseas,” said Terre Ryan, Ph.D., associate professor of writing and director of national fellowships. “Each of these students is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished with a Loyola education."

Guerra, who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, will spend the 23-24 academic year in Laos as an English teaching assistant. She is in Loyola's Honors Program and double majoring in art history and classical civilizations while minoring in Medieval studies, Italian studies, and Spanish.

“My goal is to make learning English a fun and rewarding experience for my students and give engaging presentations about American culture that encourage cross-cultural understanding,” Guerra said.

Santoni Morro, who grew up in Puerto Rico, will travel to Peru as an English teaching assistant for the 23-24 academic year. She is double majoring in English and Spanish and minoring in Latin American studies.

“I am looking forward to learning new ways of seeing and understanding the world by connecting with different communities,” Santoni Morro said.

Velazquez, who was born and raised in Connecticut, will pursue a master's degree in the United Kingdom. She is majoring in writing and minoring in studio arts.

"I look forward to working with the Manchester Metropolitan University writing department and putting together my collection of short stories based around Latino culture,” Velazquez said.

Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Young is heading to Spain’s Canary Islands as an English teaching assistant. She is majoring in global studies with a double minor in history and international business.

"I hope to foster an environment where my students and I can learn from one another and appreciate aspects of each other's culture,” Young said.

In addition to the four scholars, Sage Factora, ’23, and Cassidy McCabe, ’23, were selected as Fulbright Alternates. Factora is also a student in the Honors Program.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program facilitates cultural exchange provided in more than 140 countries around the world through opportunities to engage in research in a foreign country or teach English for students of various age groups. Through engagement in the community, grantees interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.