Jayce HafnerCONWAY, Ark. (April 6, 2011) – Hendrix senior Jayce Hafner was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend a year in Trinidad and Tobago researching connections between the carnival culture of the Caribbean, indigenous theatre, and the possibilities for theatre to effect political change.
“This Fulbright Scholarship will allow me to spend a year researching the field that most inspires and fascinates me: international development,” said Hafner, an international relations and sustainable communities major from Edinburg, Va. “I am incredibly grateful for this honor, grateful to the faculty who mentor me, and to my family and loved ones who offer unwavering support and teach me how to be scrappy.”
Hafner acknowledged the role of Hendrix and Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning in preparing her for this honor.
“The opportunities to travel, to create new projects, and to engage in hands-on learning are boundless here, and Hendrix is committed to making sure these opportunities are available to every student,” she said. “As the Fulbright Program also values and embodies the principle of the ‘world classroom,’ Hendrix has fully prepared me for this next adventure.”
Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then- U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
Eleven Hendrix students completed the Fulbright application process, and five made it through the first level of the selection process, according to Dr. Eric Binnie, Professor of Theatre Arts, who served as the College’s Fulbright liaison this year. Hafner is the first student to receive notice of acceptance, though Binnie said he remains hopeful others may also receive awards.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is featured in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country’s best 371 colleges, was identified as the nation’s top “Up and Coming” liberal arts college for 2011 by U.S. News and World Report, and is ranked among 45 “Best Buy” colleges by the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.