Eleven Students, Recent Alums Named Fulbright Semifinalists
Eleven Virginia Commonwealth University students and recent alumni have been named semifinalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2026-2027 academic year.
These candidates will now advance to the final round of evaluation and will be notified of their selection status on a rolling basis from March through May.
The Fulbright Program is 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 program operates in over 140 countries worldwide. More than 1,800 grants are given to graduating seniors, recent alumni and graduate students to conduct research, carry out creative projects, pursue a year of postgraduate study or teach English abroad.
The Fulbright semifinalists are listed below with their name, host country and grant type:
Current Students:
- Meagan Arnold, who will complete a masters in mass communications from the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication in May 2027, applied to Hungary for a Study/Research grant in Communications.
- Aya Caballero, who will complete a PhD in social work from the School of Social Work in May 2028, applied to Jamaica for a Study/Research award in Social Work.
- Alex Campbell, a member of the Honors College who will graduate with dual degrees in political science from the College of Humanities and Sciences and criminal justice from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs in May 2026, applied to the Czech Republic for an English Teaching Assistant award.
- Matthew Schroeder, who will earn an MFA in creative writing from the College of Humanities and Sciences in May 2026, applied to Bosnia and Herzegovina for an English Teaching Assistant award.
- Victoria Taylor, who will earn a bachelor’s in elementary education from the School of Education in May 2026, applied to Thailand for an English Teaching Assistant award.
Alumni:
- Maliha Chowdhury, who graduated in May 2025 with a bachelor’s in English from the College of Humanities and Sciences, applied to Kazakhstan for an English Teaching Assistant award.
- Matthew LaBella, who graduated in May 2025 with a bachelor’s in kinetic imaging from the School of the Arts, applied to Greece for a Study/Research grant in Animation.
- David Pearson, who graduated in May 2025 with a bachelor’s in political science from the College of Humanities and Sciences, applied to Turkiye for a Study/Research grant in Law.
- Macy Pressley, who graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s in journalism from the Robertson School, applied to Italy for a Study/Research Grant in Agriculture.
- Valerie Shcherbakov, who graduated in December 2025 with a bachelor’s in HPEX from the College of Humanities and Sciences, applied to Brazil for a Study/Research grant in Public Health.
- An alum from the School of the Arts applied for a Study/Research grant in the United Kingdom.
VCU’s National Scholarship Office (NSO) assists students and recent alumni with the application process for the Fulbright Program and other esteemed awards. To learn more about external funding opportunities, schedule an appointment with a member of the NSO staff.
Categories Fulbright Award, Fulbright ETA Award