Freeman growing as Fulbright destination

Tulane University was recently highlighted as a top producer of Fulbright students for the second year in a row, with 13 graduates -- including Freeman alum Paul Yermish (BSM/SLA ’23) -- selected to participate in the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

But in addition to producing Fulbright students, Tulane and the Freeman School are also a growing destination for Fulbright students. Through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, international students can receive scholarships for graduate study at top U.S. institutions. The Freeman School currently has four international grad students on Fulbright Foreign Student Program scholarships.

“I wanted to be at the forefront of the energy transition, and Tulane offered a really great program with the way you could, under the Tulane Energy Institute, concentrate in energy,” says Kalsey Belle (MBA ’24), who came to the Freeman School from the Seychelles. “Once I finish with my Fulbright scholarship, I plan to work for an American firm in the U.S. where I want to use the skills that I’ve developed in the MBA program to push us towards the clean energy targets of 2050, and once I’ve developed that expertise, I plan to go back home where I want us to do the same in the Seychelles.”

In addition to Belle, the Freeman School’s other Fulbright scholarship recipients for 2023-24 are Khetpal Simran (MANA ’24), Omema Akhtar (MANA ’24) and Alyshah Banani (MFIN ’24).

Melissa Lightell, assistant dean for graduate admissions, says the Freeman School is seeing growing interest from Fulbright students.

“As of April, we increased our Fulbright applications by 20% over last year, and we’re hoping to get more by the end of the cycle,” says Lightell. “I think the programs we offer, the access to the Freeman network of alumni and industry leaders, and the incredible resources we provide, all while being in a unique, diverse city like New Orleans, make us a great destination for Fulbright students.”