Shannon Rensi awarded Fulbright-Garcia Robles Grant

April 16, 2009

Senior Shannon Rensi has received a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Grant. Because of the grant, which is part of the Fulbright program and awarded to up to 20 scholars in Mexico, Rensi will pursue graduate work at the University of Guanajuato during the 2009-10 academic year.

The Fulbright program, founded in 1946 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, increases mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. Grants are awarded based on academic merit and leadership potential. The Fulbright program in Mexico is overseen by The U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS). COMEXUS offers dynamic opportunities to pursue research or internships that are of relevance to both countries.

Rensi says, “A big part of my heart is valuing and being able to understand other cultures.” Her studies in Mexican history and literature will prepare her to teach Mexican culture to North Americans through Mexican literature.

As a child, Rensi lived for a year in the city of Guanajuato and fell in love with the people and culture. Guanajuato is the capital city of the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Rensi describes it as a Spanish colonial city, complete with cobblestoned streets and wrought-iron balconies. Later, in both high school and college, Rensi studied abroad in other Spanish-speaking countries. As part of her exchange in 2008, Rensi spent four months in Bolivia, followed by a month in a Peruvian city and two months in a jungle village.

Being a cultural ambassador for the Fulbright program is exciting and fulfilling for Rensi: “There’s a part of me that only comes alive in Latin America.”

Rensi (Gold Hill, Ore.) will graduate summa cum laude in May with a Bachelor of Science in intercultural studies and English. She has provided leadership for Corban’s student life program as a Resident Assistant for two years. Rensi’s mother, who participated in a Fulbright Teacher Exchange in 2005-06, lives in Gold Hill and teaches Spanish in Ashland, Oregon. Her father is a retired English teacher, also from Gold Hill.

The Fulbright-Garcia Robles Grant will cover Rensi’s university tuition, housing and living expenses, transportation to Mexico, and research-related costs. It is renewable for a second year.