Cal Poly Alumna Wins Fulbright Award

Paige Wopschall, 2011 Cal Poly graduate, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach in Bulgaria, becoming the first student applicant from Cal Poly in 20 years to win a Fulbright award.

The Fulbright Program is an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Through the program, according to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, participants exhibiting leadership and academic merit are given “the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.”

“My experience in Bulgaria will continue to impact and mold my evolving career in education and women’s empowerment in the U.S.,” Wopschall said. “As I shape others through education, my students will undoubtedly influence me as well. My hope is that I can create a ripple effect — a continuous impact that will reach far beyond my immediate location.”

Thousands of the nation’s top students apply for Fulbright awards every year, said Raymond Zeuschner, Cal Poly’s Fulbright Scholarship Program advisor. “We are so proud of Paige and the hard work and outstanding contributions she has made to Cal Poly and the community.”

Wopschall graduated from Cal Poly in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, concentrating in cross-cultural studies and international development. She studied abroad in 2009 at the Danish Institute for Study in Copenhagen, working in the area of European politics.

After teaching in Bulgaria, Wopschall plans to pursue a master’s degree focusing on international law and violence against women.