Student Fulbright winners find meaning abroad

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Student Fulbright Program sends university graduates abroad to conduct research, teach English or pursue graduate study. While acceptance rates vary by country, earning a Fulbright Award is no easy feat.

The pair joined more than 400,000 Fulbrighters from over 155 countries who have participated in the Fulbright Program since it began in 1946.

Johnson, who graduated from DePaul with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and minor in Irish studies, used her award to pursue a master’s in sociology at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. During her time at DePaul, Johnson studied misogynistic behavior in online forums such as Reddit and 4chan. Her Fulbright award helped her continue that research abroad.

“I chose Kent because they have a research center called the Center for the Study of Social and Political Movements that aligns with the work I did as an undergrad,” Johnson says. “They also do a lot of work with digital cultural studies, and that's something that I thought would be helpful — combining those two disciplines into a further exploration of this emerging online social phenomena.”

As part of her graduate program, Johnson took classes about sociological theory, the history of social movements, and the sociological approach to group participation. She also conducted research for her dissertation, which explored how people who identify as involuntarily celibate share emotions on online forums, and how these platforms can either intensify or ease the feelings that shape their experiences and beliefs. She also looked into social factors that are leading young men to engage with misogynistic extremism.

This fall, Johnson will begin her Ph.D. in sociology at West Virginia University.

Mourgelas, who graduated from DePaul with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and French, used her Student Fulbright funding to teach English at a K-12 school in Athens, Greece. She also participated in her school’s adult learning program, where she was able to take a continental philosophy class completely taught in Greek.

“I'm Greek, and my heritage is important to me, but I really wanted to explore this kind of cultural connection from an academic perspective,” Mourgelas says. “Fulbright is a good opportunity for that because I was able to be based in a school and connected to a network of scholars.”

Working out of the school’s library, Mourgelas helped students with English and media literacy. She worked with junior high students on developing their reading and research skills in English. She also coached a middle school debate and speech club, known as forensics, and assisted the student contemporary music orchestra. She taught at the school through the end of the academic year and then worked as a counselor leading the music classes at the school’s summer camp through early July.

“I enjoyed teaching and am grateful for the chance to have explored it as a potential career path,” Mourgelas says. “There were many highlights for me during my Fulbright experience, but two that stand out are running a 10K along the original Athens marathon course from ancient Greece and attending the annual Fulbright Media Literacy Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria.”

Johnson and Mourgelas both praised the incredible support they received from DePaul while working on their Fulbright applications. They each gave a special shoutout to Rachel Scott, an associate professor of anthropology.

“The application is pretty extensive. You write two essays and respond to a few questions. Then you have to be interviewed by a group of faculty so that you can get DePaul's endorsement,” Mourgelas says.

After a candidate receives the university’s endorsement, they submit the final application to the Fulbright Committee. The committee then invites select applicants to participate in a virtual interview before making their final decision.

Despite the rigorous application process, both Johnson and Mourgelas encourage DePaul students to apply.

“It’s intimidating, but I think it's absolutely well worth it,” Johnson says. “I think that more people should apply for all kinds of scholarships, not just Fulbright. If you don't apply, then you'll never know.”

To learn more about Fulbright awards see the Fulbright US student website, and for support at DePaul, visit the scholarship page here or contact National Scholarships Advisor Professor Avery Goldman (agoldman@depaul.edu)  The DePaul campus deadline for Fulbright applications for the 2026-27 academic year is September 8th.