Five Students Selected as Alternates, Semifinalists
MACON, Ga. — Mercer University senior Lainey Hunt and Class of 2024’s Thomas Neely were selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the 2026-27 academic year, with three additional students selected as alternates.
Mercer’s latest Fulbright students bring the University’s total number to 33 since 2010.
“One way to change the world is to build relationships with others,” said Dr. David A. Davis, director of fellowships and scholarships at Mercer. “As Fulbrighters, these students will serve as cultural ambassadors on behalf of the State Department to build relationships and mutual understanding between the United States and their host countries.”
Hunt and Neely were chosen as finalists and awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships to Spain and South Korea, respectively. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program places grantees in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker in the classrooms.
Hunt, from Nashville, Tennessee, is a College of Education holistic child major with a minor in Spanish.
“It is a dream come true to be able to live, teach and immerse in a Spanish-speaking culture,” Hunt said. “My time in Spain will prepare me fully for the experiences of bilingual education and the unique challenges of education across the globe.”
At Mercer, Hunt is a peer advisor, has held leadership positions with the Wesley Foundation and YoungLife and has been on the Mercer Experience Team in the Admissions Office. She has student-taught in six Bibb County public schools, been consistently on the President’s List and will graduate summa cum laude. After graduation and her time in Spain, Hunt plans to pursue a career as a Spanish-immersion educator.
Neely, from Midway, graduated in 2024 with a double-major in marketing and creative writing and a minor in psychology. While at Mercer, he was selected for the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and has served as an assistant English language teacher in Japan since July of that year. He first applied for Fulbright Korea’s English Teaching Assistantship award in 2023 and was selected as an alternate.
“My letter then told me that being an alternate was an ‘achievement of which [I] can be justly proud,’ but it’s difficult not to feel disappointed. I decided to move forward with teaching in Japan,” Neely said. “Now, this moment feels all the more exciting because I was able to transform my experiences into growth. I am incredibly grateful for all the support I received when reapplying this past fall.”
During this award cycle, two seniors and a recent graduate were chosen as alternates:
- Zach Carman, a Class of 2026 neuroscience major from Marietta, was selected as an alternate for an English Teaching Assistantship to Spain.
- Kate Van Meter, a Class of 2025 Spanish major from Fayetteville, was selected as an alternate for an English Teaching Assistantship to Spain.
- Maddie Pardue, a Class of 2026 English major from Chattahoochee Hills, was selected as an alternate for an English Teaching Assistantship to Moldova.
Additionally, two seniors were named semifinalists:
- Norma Jean Jones, a Class of 2026 international affairs, global health studies and French triple-major from Warner Robins, was named a semifinalist for an English Teaching Assistantship to Switzerland.
- Samanta Schulz, a Class of 2026 mechanical engineering major from Alpharetta, was named a semifinalist for a study grant to Finland.
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.
