This spring, Howard University alumnus Virgil Parker (B.A. ’21) and Ph.D. candidate Lyndsie Whitehead were selected as 2024 Fulbright Program Alumni Ambassadors. In this two-year appointment, Parker and Whitehead are tasked with serving as representatives for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Parker and Whitehead are two of only 20 ambassadors selected for the 2024 cohort. As Alumni Ambassadors, they have been chosen to provide testimonials about their Fulbright experience at conferences and campus presentations and offer application tips through various forms of multimedia and special events across the United States. The pair have already represented the program at fellow HBCUs Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.
Parker’s Fulbright Experience on North American Trade
After graduating from Howard University in 2021, Parker completed a Fulbright exchange in Canada, where he studied cross-border economic policy at the University of Windsor. His research explored means of creating economic equity in U.S.-Canada trade for U.S. business owners who identify as women or members of minority groups. Parker hopes his story can encourage future Fulbrighters eager to share their expertise on an international stage.
“I am very honored and excited to be chosen as an Alumni Ambassador,” says Parker. “Being awarded a grant from the Fulbright program was an honor within itself, so I am very eager to encourage other students to be a part of this experience.”
Parker says he has two specific goals in his ambassador role. “First, I want to motivate more students, especially students of color, to see the importance of traveling to other countries and exploring those cultures,” Parker says. “There is so much out there for us to see in the world, and Fulbright is a great chance to immerse yourself in another country, while benefiting academically.”
“Secondly, I want to debunk any false narrative that a Fulbright grant is too hard to achieve or the application process is too complicated,” Parker continues. “Fulbright does not have a GPA minimum for a reason. They look for well-rounded individuals who are eager to explore a foreign culture, add meaningful value to that host country, and then return home to help make our country better. There are so many ways that students can strive to achieve these goals, and I believe they shouldn’t let anything hinder them from applying to this amazing opportunity.”
A Cathy Hughes School of Communications graduate, Parker was most recently a television producer for News10NBC (WHEC-TV) of Rochester, N.Y., and is currently a Global Goals Ambassador for the United Nations Association of the USA. He aspires to become a filmmaker who can use the power of storytelling to both educate and entertain people about important people and events in history.
“I am very excited to serve in this cohort with fellow Bison Lyndsie Whitehead,” says Parker. “Watching her and many other Howard students commit themselves to public affairs and giving back to their community further amplifies that we should take our time in this world seriously.”
Whitehead Explores the African Diaspora Through Fulbright
Whitehead also earned a Fulbright grant in 2021, where her research examined the push-pull factors that influence sub-Saharan African students’ enrollment decisions in India, including support services, financial resources, and relationships with faculty and peers. Her research explores strategies for policymakers, administrators, and faculty to gain a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes of international students choosing to study abroad.
“As an African American woman, I have always been intrigued by the African diaspora beyond the geographical boundaries of the United States,” says Whitehead. “I continue to be fascinated with diasporic connections to the African continent. Upon enrolling in the Higher Educational Leadership and Policy Program at Howard, I knew that my dissertation research would undoubtedly have an international focus – it was merely a matter of honing in on the location.”
“Shifts in international student mobility naturally guided me to Africa and the Indian subcontinent. In 2021, the African Union reported that with more than 400 million young adults ages 15-35, Africa has the youngest population globally and with India surpassing a total population of 1 billion,” Whitehead says. “These two regions are and will continue to be critical in shaping the international higher education landscape. If we are not talking about India and its relationship with Africa, especially as it relates to higher education, we’ve missed the target.”
Currently a senior associate at UNICEF-USA and a doctoral candidate in Howard’s higher education leadership and policy program, Whitehead’s career goals include establishing a non-profit organization that integrates insights from her research to provide leadership development, career coaching, and internship opportunities for international students.
“Internationalization is very much a part of Howard University’s institutional DNA. It embodies the very ethos of our campus dating back to 1870 when three Chinese students – Fung Affoo, Choy Awah, and Leong Sing – received full scholarships and enrolled at Howard Normal School,” says Whitehead. “Virgil and I are a part of an extensive legacy of Howard University’s global presence and commitment to preparing international scholars.”
Per the Fulbright website, Alumni Ambassadors comprise an array of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, states, fields of study, institutions, and world regions in which their Fulbright experience took place. In a highly competitive process, Fulbright Commissions, U.S. Embassies, Fulbright Program Managers, and the Outreach Division convene each autumn to recommend alumni for the program. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs then approves the final selection of Alumni Ambassadors.
Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is an international academic exchange program with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and supporting friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Today, the U.S. government oversees an extensive suite of fellowships and scholarships in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide.
