MACON — Mercer University Class of 2025’s Zainab Shaik was recently selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Award for the 2025-26 academic year, with one additional student selected as an alternate.
“Fulbright is a vital program to develop mutual understanding and personal relationships between Americans and people in other countries,” said Dr. David A. Davis, director of fellowships and scholarships at Mercer. “The application requires students to be introspective about their identity as Americans and how they understand other countries, which is a profoundly impactful developmental exercise. All of the students who applied will benefit from the experience.”
Shaik was awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Senegal. The programs place grantees in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker presence in the classrooms.
After the loss of her brother during her sophomore year, Shaik said her advisor, who is now also her mentor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Associate Professor of French Dr. Katherine Roseau, gave her a journal to help process her thoughts, and the simple gesture was transformative.
“Storytelling helped me find my voice when I felt invisible,” Shaik said. “It’s how I processed grief, built community, and discovered who I am. Receiving the Fulbright is a full-circle moment—it gives me the opportunity to return to a place I’ve studied deeply and serve through connection, education and empathy. I’m excited to grow alongside my students and exchange stories that shape how we see the world.”
A global health studies, international affairs and French triple-major with minors in biology, chemistry, computer science and information science and technology, Shaik will serve as an English teaching assistant in Senegal through the Fulbright Program. She’ll be placed in a local school where she’ll help teach English and lead activities to promote cross-cultural learning.
“I plan to start a storytelling club where students can explore identity and build confidence through oral, written and visual narratives,” she said.
At Mercer, Shaik is on the President’s and Dean’s Lists, received the Mercer Presidential Scholarship and departmental honors in foreign language, international affairs and international global studies. She is a member of Phi Sigma Iota foreign language honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society and Phi Beta Kappa, and she participated in a Mercer On Mission to South Africa.
Shaik eventually plans to pursue a master’s degree in international science and technology policy and work toward a career as a foreign service officer.
Victoria J. Casey, a doctoral student in clinical psychology from Fayetteville, was selected as an alternate, and five other students and recent graduates were named semifinalists during this award cycle, including:
- Papa Guerrero, a Class of 2025 philosophy and French double-major from Sugar Hill
- Juliana Krueger, a 2nd year clinical mental health counseling master’s student from Kennesaw
- Savannah Richie, a Class of 2025 mechanical engineering major from Carrollton
- Genevieve Smith, a Class of 2025 neuroscience major from Canton
- Daniel Stein, a Class of 2025 music and history double-major from Bainbridge Island, Washington
Mercer’s latest Fulbright student brings the University’s total number to 26 since 2010.
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
