Brandon DeBot '14, a varsity tennis player, government major and public policy minor, has many accomplishments to his name he interned at the White House, assisted government professors as a James O. Freedman presidential scholar and was named a Rufus Choate Scholar. Now, his hard work has been nationally recognized with a Truman Foundation Scholarship.
DeBot, along with a slew of other Dartmouth junior and seniors, consulted the Scholarship Advising Office during their application processes for this prestigious grant. The office has also helped students apply for the Fulbright, Barry M. Goldwater, Udall and Beinecke scholarships.
The Fulbright is one of the most popular scholarships among Dartmouth students, and applicants are notified of their acceptance at different times, depending on the country where they plan to work. As of press time, five students have received Fulbright scholarships Anna Leah Berstein Simpson '13, Jina Choi '13, Marissa Lynn '13, Eliza Relman '13 and Craig Smyser '13.
"I personally think it is one of the best programs because it is so flexible," said Kristin O'Rourke, assistant dean for scholarship advising. "It allows students in any field of study to go anywhere in the world to do research or have a teaching position."
Berstein Simpson, who will be teaching English in France next year, said the Scholarship Office helped her contact faculty, including French professor Faith Beasley, a former Fulbright scholar to provide feedback for her essays.
"She understood the process and said she thought I would be a strong candidate," Berstein Simpson said. "She made it seem like it was an actual possibility."
The Fulbright program allows college seniors and alumni to design their own research projects or serve as English teaching assistants in a foreign country for an academic year.
The other four scholarships are open to college juniors and are field-specific.
Goldwater recipient Serena Liu '14, a biology and economics double major, said collaborating with biology professor Thomas Jack helped her realize that she wanted to research floral development.
The Goldwater scholarship is awarded to aspiring scientists, mathematicians and engineers.
Celeste Winston '14 received the Beinicke scholarship, which supports students who want to pursue graduate studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The College nominates only one student for this award per year.
The Truman Scholarship is awarded to college juniors who show leadership potential and have an interest in government or public sector service. Dartmouth can nominate four students for this award.
The Udall Scholarship awards 50 scholarships of up to $5,000 and 50 honorable mentions to sophomores and juniors interested in careers in the environment, tribal public policy or Native American health care. Joseph Bonnell-Hall '14 received honorable mention.
