Salisbury, MD — Two recent Salisbury University graduates will spend part of the next year teaching in, learning in and experiencing cultures abroad as recipients of the 2025-26 U.S. Fulbright Student Award.
Andersen Herman ’25, a chemistry major from Fruitland, MD, will conduct research in the Slovak Republic. Vicky Vazquez ’25, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Spanish major, was selected for an English teaching assistantship in Thailand.
Three additional SU semifinalists were selected as alternates for the program: Stephora Alberi ’25 of Salisbury, Masha Goncharenko ’25 of Salisbury and Kelly Mitzel ’24 of Amery, WI.
“To be selected as a Fulbright Student is one of the most prestigious honors in higher education,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “Education is a global, shared experience, and the Fulbright program allows students like Andersen and Vicky an opportunity to enrich their own lives while sharing in the lives of others. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to what the future holds for them.”
This year’s Fulbright Student finalists and alternates were among 10 total SU semifinalists for the award.
Andersen Herman
A native of Haiti who immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age 12, Herman’s experience with malaria as a child left an indelible impression on him. With an eye toward continuing his studies of malaria conducted at SU, he hopes to pursue a career as a physician scientist.
In the Slovak Republic, he will join researchers from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and the Slovak Academy of Sciences in studying antibacterial photodynamic therapy using metal-organic frameworks to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and cancer.
“A 2022 report stressed that the Slovak Republic needed to prioritize biomedical and biotechnological research,” he said. “As a student researcher with a passion for understanding infectious diseases, I am excited to go to Slovakia to research antibacterial resistance, which is a major global health issue.”
During his time in Košice, Slovakia, Herman also will provide English language tutoring and mentorship at a local high school, and collaborate with U.S. Embassy outreach programs including Education USA and American Spaces Slovakia to assist Slovak students interested in studying in the U.S.
“I aim to support their English language learning and inspire them through my experiences as an immigrant and first-generation college student,” he said. “I can share my cultural background and values while learning more about Slovak students’ aspirations and perspectives, enriching the cultural exchange experience for both parties.”
Following his Fulbright experience, he plans to continue his education, ultimately enrolling in a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine or a similar institution.
In addition to his selection as a Fulbright student, Herman is a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Boren Fellowship, both of which support immersive language learning. Herman received the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship in 2024, enabling him to study public health abroad in Austria earlier this year.
Vicky Vazquez
In Thailand, Vazquez hopes to learn about the nation and its people while gaining language teaching experience.
“While I am rooted in both Mexico and the United States, I have had little exposure to the Thai culture,” she said. “As an aspiring ESOL educator, I am committed to learning about pioneering teaching methods. While researching more about Thailand, I found that its community-based educational philosophy deeply resonated with me. This teaching philosophy is one I would like to experience and be a part of, bringing it back to my own community.”
During her Fulbright experience, she plans to partner with the U.S. Embassy’s American Corners program, which offers initiatives such as an English camp, speech contest and spelling bee to benefit Thai students interested in learning the language. She also hopes to establish an English conversation and writing workshop at a local café to allow Thai community members to practice the language.
Upon completing her Fulbright assignment, Vazquez plans to return to the Lower Eastern Shore for a year before pursuing a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Once completing this program, she would like to become an ESOL teacher in her native Worcester County, eventually creating a non-profit organization to establish a mobile English classroom for vulnerable populations on the Lower Eastern Shore. As a student enrolled in an ESOL program herself until middle school, she has a first-hand understanding of the challenges and rewards associated with learning the language.
“I want to create an environment where people can learn without having to compromise their identity and culture,” she said. “Providing others with the opportunity to learn English is crucial because it is the lingua franca in the mainstream community. In Delmarva, the Thai population has grown extensively in just a few years. This English teaching assistantship will allow me to increase my ability to teach my future Thai students and the overall marginalized community.”
More than 100 SU students have won national and international fellowships, scholarships and awards since 2011, including 41 Fulbright Students. The U.S. Department of State and Chronicle of Higher Education consistently name SU among the top producers of Fulbright Students in the U.S.
The Fulbright is America’s flagship international exchange program and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
SU students or alumni who are interested in applying for national fellowships should complete an online interest form at https://salisbury.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_01WQGdHQU3crb70 or contact Dr. Kristen Walton, director of the SU Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office, at kpwalton@salisbury.edu for assistance. For more information, visit www.salisbury.edu/nationalfellowships.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at www.salisbury.edu.
