Graduate student Tyrell Edwards is the University of Washington Bothell’s first Fulbright Student Scholar.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually-designed research projects. The awards are highly competitive and are intended to foster “international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science.”

Edwards is a student in the Master of Cultural Studies Program in UW Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. He will graduate in June with a master of arts degree. Beginning in September, Edwards will live on-campus at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. He will conduct research on international student development and retention at UBC, which is considered to be a leader in the field.

Edwards’ Fulbright Award is the fruition of UW Bothell’s recent investment in student support services that help students identify and apply for scholarships, says Hung Dang, associate vice chancellor of enrollment and student affairs. “This award honors Ty, and also recognizes our institution as a place to nurture students to be successful academically and to be engaged in meaningful ways,” he says.

Two additional UW Bothell students are finalists for a Fulbright Award and are waiting to learn if they have been selected.At UW Bothell, Edwards founded an international student facilitators group that helps international students transition to life in the U.S. and to campus life. The group began with five people but has grown to 30 with four paid positions. “I wanted to make sure there would be support for international students after I graduated,” Edwards says.

While at UW Bothell, Edwards has been active in student government and assorted campus committees. He started the Husky Pantry, which provides food staples to students who live in Husky Village, one of the campus residence halls. “As a resident advisor, I heard students talk about their financial struggles,” Edwards says. “It’s hard to get good grades and focus without having enough food.”

Edwards is a native of Visalia, Calif. He also attended UW Bothell as an undergraduate student, earning a BA in culture, literature and the arts. He hopes to return to UW Bothell after studying in Canada to continue his work with international students.