|
|
|
|
|
Aug. 23, 1999
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Cory Blatz of Borden is the first graduate of Indiana University Southeast to receive a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. The 1998 IU Southeast graduate plans to study the language, history and culture of Ecuador during his 11-month study.
Blatz and his wife, Angela Walisser, a 1999 IU Southeast graduate with highest honors in psychology, will travel to Ecuador in late August.
"All of IU Southeast and I are extremely proud of Cory and very happy for his success," said F. C. Richardson, IU Southeast chancellor. "To be awarded a Fulbright is an achievement few scholars ever realize. Along with opportunities for intellectual growth, the Fulbright program offers Cory invaluable chances to meet and work with the people of Ecuador. This achievement also serves as proof that this university and its graduates compete successfully at the national level."
"I am thrilled, amazed and extremely happy," said Blatz, 24. "I worked hard to put myself in a position to be competitive for a Fulbright, and given the nature of the award, I was delighted to receive it. Still, to be selected and to be the first IU Southeast student is something I'm very proud of.
"My plans are to live and study in Quito, Ecuador," said Blatz. "I've already made arrangements with a professor at Universidad de San Francisco there who will help me set a schedule of course work that will give me a solid grasp of Ecuador's culture and history. I took every course in Latin American history at IU Southeast as well as an independent study course, so I'm prepared. But there's no doubt the next year is going to be exciting and full of new challenges, both academically and personally."
"Cory is a success story," said Stephanie Bower, professor of history at IU Southeast and Blatz's former academic adviser. "College was an adaptation for him, coming from a small high school. Add to that the fact Cory worked full time at Discount Labels in New Albany all through college, and you can see his commitment to education. He's persevered and made adjustments in his life to prepare for his career goals. The Fulbright is an acknowledgment of Cory's ability, focus and passion for his chosen field. Not only that but it shows, as well, the effort he has made to get himself ready for the next phase of his life."
"The faculty of the history department sort of took me on as their group project," said Blatz. "While Professor Bower was my adviser, practically every faculty member within the department played a role in getting me ready to take this major step forward in my education."
The U.S. Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946 to foster mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchanges. Sen. J. William Fulbright, sponsor of the legislation, saw it as a step toward building an alternative to armed conflict. Today the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's premier scholarship program.
Each year the program allows Americans to study or conduct research in over 100 nations. An annual congressional appropriation and contributions from other participating countries fund the program. Blatz is one of 2,000 U.S. grant recipients who will travel abroad for the 1999-2000 academic year.
"The Fulbright Program promotes cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding on a person-to-person basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom," said Richardson. "The best way to appreciate others' viewpoints, their beliefs and the way they do things, is to interact with them directly. Cory is going to have the chance of a lifetime to work with the people of Ecuador, to live with them, to teach with them, to learn with them and to learn from them." (John Eagles, 812-941-2416, JEAGLES@IUSMail.IUS.indiana.edu)