Recent graduate Anthony Erkan (BA'25, history and economics) was one of five University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students and recent graduates to receive a Fulbright grant to pursue international education, research, and teaching experiences around the globe this coming year.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program builds international relationships to help solve global challenges. This flagship international educational exchange program of the U.S. government awards grants to students based on their academic and professional achievement as well as their ambassadorial skills and leadership potential. The Fulbright student program will fund more than 2,000 U.S. citizens to live abroad for the 2025-26 academic year.
“The Fulbright is a preeminent global exchange program affording students the opportunity to experience a different culture and share their own,” said David Schug, director of the National and International Scholarships Program at Illinois. “Our Illinois recipients span from students in the hard sciences to the humanities, showcasing how the mission of the scholarship, to create mutual understanding across cultures, can be accomplished across myriad disciplines. We are so proud of these global ambassadors.”
Anthony Erkan, of Carol Stream, Ill., will teach English in Türkiye after receiving bachelor’s degrees in history and economics at Illinois this spring. Born in the U.S. to a Turkish family, the graduate of Glenbard North High School aims to use his fluency in English, Turkish and German to help students explore and understand Turkish American culture and history. Erkan’s goals following his Fulbright grant are to pursue a dual-degree master’s program at Georgetown University: a master’s in foreign service with a concentration in global politics and security from the Walsh School of Foreign Service, alongside a master’s in global, international and comparative history, with aspirations for a career in diplomacy and foreign affairs.
Editor's note: This story is adapted from an announcement on the News Bureau website.