{"id":337081,"date":"2026-06-15T15:06:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/337081\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T15:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:06:31","slug":"5-utep-grads-named-to-prestigious-fulbright-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/337081\/","title":{"rendered":"5 UTEP grads named to prestigious Fulbright Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM<\/a>) \u2014 Five recent graduates of the University of Texas at El Paso have been selected for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program, earning opportunities to teach, serve and conduct research as cultural ambassadors overseas, the university announced.<\/p>\n

The Fulbright Program is one of the nation\u2019s most competitive international exchange initiatives, providing fellowships for research, teaching and graduate study in more than 140 countries, UTEP said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Participants represent the United States abroad while fostering cross-cultural understanding through education and community engagement, UTEP said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese outstanding students and recent graduates have been awarded one of the nation\u2019s most prestigious international honors,\u201d UTEP President Heather Wilson said. \u201cTheir success reflects their hard work, as well as the exceptional educational opportunities and mentorship available at UTEP.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2026 Fulbright recipients include several institutional firsts. Here is biographical information on each as provided by UTEP:<\/p>\n

Jaen Ngassa Kemayo<\/p>\n

English Teaching Assistant, Taiwan<\/p>\n

Jaen Ngassa Kemayo is a current master\u2019s student in public health and the first Fulbright recipient from UTEP\u2019s College of Health Sciences. Born in Abuja, Nigeria, and raised across multiple countries as a military child, Ngassa Kemayo developed a passion for cross-cultural connection through Mandarin classes in UTEP\u2019s Professional and Public Programs. He plans to support English learners of all backgrounds before returning to complete his master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Felipe Martinez<\/p>\n

Open Study\/Research Award, Peru<\/p>\n

Felipe Israel Martinez received a master of arts degree in Latin American and Border Studies and is UTEP\u2019s first Fulbright recipient to be placed in Peru. His thesis examined the lived experiences of energy poverty in U.S.-Mexico border cities. His research examines the political economy of the border, informal markets, and the effects of national security policy on borderlands. Martinez has served as an Archer Graduate Fellow, a Research and Policy Fellow at LULAC, and a Latino Texas Policy Center Fellow. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in public policy.<\/p>\n

Lesley Rodriguez<\/p>\n

English Teaching Assistant, Spain<\/p>\n

Lesley Rodriguez is an alumna of UTEP\u2019s master\u2019s program in Hispanic linguistics. Driven by a passion for international relations and community building, Rodriguez plans to share El Paso\u2019s cultural heritage and traditional folkl\u00f3rico dance with her students abroad. Focused on second-language acquisition and building student confidence, she aims to pursue a career with embassies and nonprofits dedicated to global community engagement after completing her Fulbright.<\/p>\n

Mina Tavakoli-Nejad<\/p>\n

English Teaching Assistant, Slovak Republic<\/p>\n

Mina Tavakoli-Nejad, a May 2026 graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in international business, is the first Fulbright recipient from UTEP\u2019s Woody L. Hunt College of Business and the first UTEP student placed in Slovakia. Raised in the U.S.-Mexico border region, she developed an interest in cultural exchange and conducted undergraduate research on international outcomes and domestic stock prices. Tavakoli-Nejad plans to pursue a Ph.D. and build a career in global education and international research.<\/p>\n

Ashley Vargas<\/p>\n

English Teaching Assistant, Nepal<\/p>\n

Ashley Vargas, who earned her master\u2019s degree in applied linguistics from UTEP in 2024, is the University\u2019s first-ever Fulbright recipient placed in Nepal. Currently teaching English language learners at UTEP and El Paso Community College while serving as a grants and scholarships administrator at a local nonprofit, Vargas is driven by a commitment to reaching underserved communities. After her Fulbright, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree focused on language teaching in challenging environments.<\/p>\n

In addition to the five award recipients, four UTEP students were selected as Fulbright alternates, a distinction that places them in consideration should additional awards become available. The alternates are Kyalani Butler (South Korea), Carlos Castro (Spain), Frida Terrazas-Holguin (Argentina) and Sophia Villalobos (Taiwan).<\/p>\n

UTEP has significantly increased the number of students applying for and being awarded Fulbright honors over the past five years, the university said.<\/p>\n

In 2022 and again in 2024, UTEP was honored by the U.S. secretary of state for the quality of its Fulbright program.<\/p>\n

Current students and recent graduates interested in applying for future Fulbright opportunities are encouraged to contact UTEP\u2019s Office of Student Fellowships and Awards at studentfellowships@utep.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Applicants seeking UTEP endorsement are strongly encouraged to participate in the university\u2019s Fulbright Boot Camp advising program, offered virtually from July through mid-August to help candidates prepare competitive applications.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) \u2014 Five recent graduates of the University of Texas at El Paso have been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":337082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[120255,138,140,139,120252,120250,120251,120253,120254,4533],"class_list":["post-337081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-cross-cultural-understanding","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news","tag-felipe-martinez","tag-fulbright","tag-israel-martinez","tag-jaen-ngassa-kemayo","tag-ngassa-kemayo","tag-utep"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}