Jed Munson ‘19, who majored in English with a minor in the College of East Asian Studies, won a Fulbright creative arts grant to South Korea.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a federally funded program established by Senator J. William Fulbright after World War II to promote “international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.” It is open to graduating seniors and recent alumni from any academic background who are U.S. citizens. The Fulbright offers several types of opportunities: research, creative work, graduate study, and English teaching. Ultimately, it provides an opportunity for American graduates to engage in a cultural and academic exchange in a global community. Wesleyan students and alumni have won Fulbright grants each year, and we were named a Fulbright top-producing institution for 2019-2020.
We asked Jed to tell us about his project and share his advice for future applicants. He wrote:
Contingent on the plausibility of travel this fall, I’ll be working out of Seoul, South Korea in affiliation with the University of North Korean Studies and the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University on a project that examines the Korean Demilitarized Zone from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. My senior thesis forayed into the DMZ and I’m hoping my Fulbright year will lead me through new forms of departure, belonging, and trespass. My Fulbright project grew out of my studies at Wesleyan and my thesis year. I majored in English and minored in East Asian Studies, and drew support from both departments when it came time to apply after graduating in 2019. Early preparation was key for me, especially because the Fulbright application process has multiple stages and a comparatively longer runway than most fellowships I’ve applied for. Definitely draft your statements early and take advantage of the support we as Wesleyan students are fortunate to have from our faculty and the Fries Center for Global Studies.
Click to read about Wesleyan’s other 2020 Fulbrighters.