For the 15th year in a row, Bates College has been named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Student awards by the U.S. Department of State for the 2025–26 academic year.
This recognition highlights eight Bates alumni who were selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, with seven currently participating in study and research exchanges or serving as English teaching assistants in Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Taiwan, and Rwanda.
Bates is among 96 colleges to receive this distinction in 2026 and is one of only 11 undergraduate liberal arts colleges to achieve Top Producer status for 15 consecutive years.
“Bates’ success with Fulbright and other highly competitive national fellowships is a sterling example of the highly intentional, deeply personalized experience we offer our students,” said Bates President Garry W. Jenkins. “We are very proud of our students and their accomplishments — and even prouder of all that they contribute to the wider world, as Fulbright awardees and beyond.”
Helena Raddock ’24 is spending her Fulbright year as an English teaching assistant in Rwanda. She noted that interest in the Fulbright program at Bates starts early: “I really appreciate how much Bates puts an emphasis on cultivating Fulbrighters,” Raddock said. “Fulbright as a concept enters your consciousness either your first or second year, which is pretty cool.”
Raddock’s academic interests developed while taking courses such as “Women in the Women’s Movement in Africa” with Assistant Professor Seulgie Lim. She majored in politics with a minor in gender and sexuality studies, focusing her senior thesis on memory of apartheid in South Africa under Lim’s guidance.
She credited strong faculty mentorship during her application process: “One of the best things about Bates is that they set you up so well to not only do a Fulbright, but apply for it, because the mentorship is really strong,” Raddock said.
Robert Strong, director of national fellowships at Bates College, added: “It is very rewarding to support and mentor our talented students as they embark on their Fulbright journeys. I am grateful to see their hard work, and the tireless efforts of our faculty and staff who guide them through the process, honored once again.”
In Rwanda’s capital Kigali, Raddock teaches English while learning from colleagues about local history including discussions around Rwanda’s genocide. She described her experience as “powerful” due to close engagement with topics she had previously studied from afar.
Wes DeOreo ’25 serves as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Lübeck, Germany. He reflected on his role: “For most of my students, I am one of a few Americans they have met, despite the massive cultural impact America has on Germany,” DeOreo said. “Acting as a cultural ambassador to America… has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my work so far.”
DeOreo majored in German and politics at Bates; Associate Professor Jakub Kazecki was his mentor throughout his academic journey.
He observed differences between German and American K-12 education systems but found value in informal approaches that promote conversation-based language learning.
Both Raddock and DeOreo have engaged outside their classrooms—Raddock by starting an English club at her school and volunteering at Kigali’s American Center; DeOreo by participating in regional events like St. Martin’s Day parade with his host family.
“Fulbright was such a dream of mine,” Raddock said. “For that dream to come true… it’s the product of four years of really hard work and commitment.”
