In 2019, Elena was named a Rhodes Scholar, the first woman in Boise State history to win the award. Prior to Rhodes, Elena was Boise State’s first Boren Scholarship awardee–receiving funding to study abroad in Israel–and a 2017 recipient of the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, becoming the university’s second Truman Scholar.
“My Fulbright experience so far has been wonderful! Being given the chance to live in Germany for a year and build connections with my fellow teachers and my students, I think has really helped to push me out of my comfort zone and really improve my German. Those were two of my goals heading into the program, so I am very excited to see where the rest of my Fulbright year takes me and I am excited to see what I can bring back home with me.”
“Fulbright’s aim is the cultivation of relationships between nations and within communities. I’ve been invited into the homes of village chieftains, I’ve climbed a few of Taiwan’s tallest mountains, I’ve made lifelong friends, and I somehow memorized all 308 of my students’ English and Chinese names—I am an English Teaching Assistant in Guanshan, Taiwan—a small township of 8,000, tucked in the East Rift Valley. This is my home, and it will forever be a part of me. You build these connections through active participation, you teach your students through your dedication, and you yourself grow by giving. Fulbright gives you the tools and opportunities to foster this growth, to foster understanding, and to build a world with a little more knowledge and a little less conflict.”
“Being named a 2020 Truman Scholarship is less a reflection of my personal abilities but rather the incredible opportunities that Boise State and the advising office in particular offers. My fellowship advisor walked me through the process and was as invested in the process as I was, at times staying up as late as possible to help revise my essays. With this scholarship, I intend on obtaining a graduate economics and law degree in order to become a criminal justice attorney. I am passionate about reforming the current prison system in an economically rational way so that inmates that are released can join the workforce and not be at risk for returning to prison.”
“The Honors College at Boise State University was the cornerstone resource for me as I completed the Fulbright application. I found my ability to write transformed and improved more in a few months working with Emily Jones at the Honors College than my entire undergraduate career put together.
I had the time of my life as a 2017 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Malaysia. The unique blessing of arriving in a country to learn and to teach was hard and well worth it. I did not speak a word of Bahasa Melayu when I arrived at a rural school in the middle of rice paddy fields, and because of that I had the unique opportunity to listen deeply and observe. The friends I made through Fulbright, the exposure to a world drastically different than Boise, Idaho, and the challenge of wrestling with privilege taught me lifelong lessons in empathy, adaptability, patience, and humility. I hope my time as a Fulbright ETA forever informs how I listen, learn, and lead. Also, it was pretty cool to coach poetry and jumprope teams, try durian (only once), grow bananas in my backyard, learn to drive on the opposite side of the road, and be the tallest person anyone had ever met.”
“I’m grateful and honored to be named a 2020 Truman Scholar. It’s humbling to join the community of Truman Scholars who are all dedicated to public service and making a difference in our country and world. I intend to pursue a Master’s of Public Policy and a Juris Doctorate after I graduate from Boise State. The opportunities and funding this scholarship provides will be key as I pursue a career in international energy and Arctic environmental policy.
Ultimately, I hope to return to my home state of Alaska and make a difference in my community and state. I couldn’t have done this without the help and advice of the Boise State community. Both the Honors College and my Fellowships Advisor, Kate Huebschmann, have been instrumental in providing me guidance during my time at Boise State. The College of Business and Economics and the School of Public Service have also allowed me to explore my interests through studying abroad, spending a semester in Washington, D.C., and on-and-off-campus opportunities and funding. I credit my success to my family, friends, and mentors who have supported and challenged me over the years.”
Kelly Schutt, a materials science and engineering graduate and member of Boise State’s Honors College, was one of only 32 students nationwide to be awarded a 2016 Marshall. It will allowed him to pursue graduate studies in England researching affordable and sustainable solar energy.
