2022 Fulbright Awards for Two Recent Anthropology Alum

Two recent graduates of the Department of Anthropology have been awarded prestigious 2022 Fulbright Grants. Jesse Sanders (BA 2019) and Henrietta (Henny) Ransdell (BA 2021) were both awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships and both, coincidentally, will go to Thailand for the duration of their grant. These extremely competitive awards will support a year of work in Thailand, as Sanders and Ransdell each support English teachers and language learners in primary or secondary school classrooms. Learn more about what drew each to apply for the Fulbright program below. Such congratulations from the entire department to both of these stellar alum for this well-deserved award!

Jesse Sanders: I graduated from UofL in 2019 with degrees in Anthropology and Environmental Studies and a minor in Russian Studies. After my Fulbright in Kazakhstan was cut short due to the pandemic, I started working at the Americana World Community Center in South Louisville. While isolated from my family and friends, I spent nearly every day working in-person with a small group of students from Northern Thailand. My connection with these students and their families inspired me to apply for a Fulbright in Thailand, so that I can acquire language and cultural skills that will make me a better teacher and friend. 

Henny Ransdell: I finished my Bachelors in Anthropology in May 2021 and am currently working on a Master of Science in Sustainability at UofL. I was drawn to applying to the Fulbright program to utilize my cultural mediation and peer education skills abroad. I've visited Thailand before and have always been stunned by the community-preserved history, architecture, nature, and iconography, so I'm over the moon to be able to return for an extended period. Before I leave, I will be working briefly with the Smoky Mountains National Park as an archeology intern, and then hopefully completing my masters upon return. If anyone is interested in applying or would like to discuss all the variety of opportunities an education in Anthropology allows you, please feel free to contact me anytime!