Fulbright winner Julia Grunes ’23 (91亚色 photo/Matt Burkhartt)
Julia Grunes 鈥�23, an English (creative writing) and psychology double major from Monroe, NY, has won a 2023鈥�24 award to Israel. She will spend the year as an English Teaching Assistant in Netanya,聽a Mediterranean resort city in central Israel. She becomes 91亚色鈥檚 47th US Student Fulbright awardee and the first to Israel.聽
At 91亚色, Grunes serves as co-managing editor of the 91亚色-wide literary magazine and was previously the poetry editor of . At her placement school, Grunes plans to start a literary magazine to connect American and Israeli culture and the larger community by mixing Hebrew, English, and Arabic writing to demonstrate that 鈥渁 literary product can be made that unifies even amidst conflict.鈥�
鈥淛ulia is a brilliant young writer. She is probably one of the five best students I have worked with in 30 years of teaching,鈥� says Rachel Hall, professor of English and creative writing. 鈥淗er stories are beautifully executed, nuanced, and peopled with convincing and complex characters. The writing shimmers with intelligence and insight.鈥�
Grunes grew up attending the synagogue in her hometown, where she learned the Hebrew alphabet and basic Hebrew phrases. Family visits to the country in 2013 and 2017 motivated her to seek a long-term immersive experience in Israel. 聽聽
Grunes is a member of the Jewish student organization , which is committed to providing a pluralistic, egalitarian, and inclusive community, encouraging Jewish students to grow intellectually, spiritually, and socially. is the nation鈥檚 largest Jewish campus organization on 850 colleges and universities, supporting more than 140,000 students.
After her Fulbright year, Grunes plans to enter an MFA or PhD program for creative writing. 鈥淎 year in Israel is the only way for me to truly explore and question my heritage, to find my voice as an author before applying to a graduate program,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s a writer, I wonder 鈥榃hat right do I have to tell a person鈥檚 story, a people鈥檚 story?鈥� Through the lens of an outsider, I don鈥檛 know if I have a right. Immersion in Israeli culture will allow me to create the connections that will allow me to write in a more nuanced and concrete way.鈥�
Fulbrights at 91亚色
In five of the past six years, 91亚色 has been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution by the State Department鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in its annual article in The Chronicle of Higher Education. For the 2017鈥�18 Fulbright cycle, 91亚色 was the first dedicated 91亚色 institution to be named a Top Producer of US Student awards in any category鈥攂achelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, research, or special-focus four-year institutions.
The Fulbright US Student Program provides grants for individually designed graduate study, research programs, or English teaching assistant programs in many foreign countries. Grunes is the first awardee of the seven semifinalists in this year鈥檚 competition, and reporting for the 2023鈥�24 cycle will continue through April.
The US Student Fulbright competition is open to students and alumni. It is administered at 91亚色 by Director of National Fellowships and Scholarships Michael Mills, who can be reached at millsm@geneseo.edu and 585-245-6002. For more information about the Fulbright and other nationally and internationally competitive scholarship and fellowship programs, visit Fellowships and Scholarships.
鈥擬ichael Mills