By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications and Monique Bourque, Ph.D., Director of Student Grants and Awards

SALEM, Ore. -- Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) from the Willamette University women's tennis team has been chosen for a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant to participate in the English Teaching Assistantship program in Luxembourg during the 2019-20 academic year. Gjurasic is completing a double major at Willamette this spring in Anthropology and French and Francophone Studies, and is finishing a minor in Studio Art. She is the first Willamette student to use a Fulbright grant in Luxembourg.

"I am honored to partake in this prestigious educational exchange program," Gjurasic said. "My reward validates the hard work I have been doing throughout my college career. I am excited to use this experience as an opportunity to explore teaching as a future career."

In addition to competing on the tennis team, Gjurasic also is active in the Zena Farm Club at Willamette. She also has tutored and mentored students in the French Department and the Chemawa Indian School. She has worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Thurston County, Washington, and for the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

She also has worked for the Willamette Archives and Special Collections as a digitizing assistant for Professor Rebecca Dobkins. Gjurasic digitized over 3,000 photos depicting life at Chemawa in the 1950s and 1960s

While in Luxembourg, Gjurasic will work with high school and university students on English language skills and understanding American culture.

"I look forward to connecting with students and faculty from different cultural backgrounds than my own," Gjurasic commented. "I look forward to working with both college students at the University of Luxembourg and high school students. I look forward to continuing to improve my French and to begin learning new languages -- German, Luxembourgish, and perhaps even some Portuguese. I look forward to to forming a culture club for students, volunteering, exploring my new home, blogging about my experiences, and visiting family in Europe."

As a student-athlete at Willamette, Gjurasic has competed in 41 career singles matches and 57 career doubles matches, giving her 98 matches overall. This year, she has competed at #5 singles and #2 doubles.

"I'm so happy for Alexis receiving this honor, it is such a competitive scholarship and can only be the result of years of hard work," Willamette Head Women's Tennis Coach Bryce Parmelly said. "I am wishing her nothing but the best!"

Gjurasic's experiences as a student-athlete, as well as opportunities she has pursued in the Salem area, have helped prepare her for teaching in Europe.

"I was a tutor with the Chemawa Indian School Partnership Program this past fall," Gjurasic recalled. "Other Willamette experiences that I can apply to this position are being a French Department tutor this year, working as a writing associate in the Writing Center during my sophomore year, classwork in my French and Anthropology majors dealing with education as a tool for colonialism, particularly Native North American Cultures with Professor Dobkins, and Oral Tradition and Performance in African Literature with Professor Amadou Fofana. I am conducting my Anthropology thesis on Native American boarding school experiences."

The chance to study abroad as a Willamette student also has paid dividends for Gjurasic.

"In the fall of 2017, I studied in Paris, France," she said. "During my semester abroad I learned how much Willamette had become home for me during the two previous years. I learned how different educational systems can be. Student social life and my classroom experiences at the universities were much different in Paris than at Willamette. I enjoyed going to my art history class at  museums and actually seeing the art, going to all museums in general, eating cheese, spending time with my host family, and doing numerous other things."

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, and operates in over 160 countries worldwide. Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Gjurasic is the seventh Willamette student-athlete to receive a Fulbright grant. Other Bearcats who have earned the honor include Elisa Ahern (volleyball, track and field, 2015), Jaela Dinsmore (volleyball, track and field, 2012), Stevie Gildehuas (cross country, track and field, 2013), Alison Maki (cross country, track and field, 2009), Lucas Nebert (cross country, track and field, 2008) and Ty Sundlee (baseball, 2008).