Earlier this month, if patrons of the Bear’s Den heard an excited student making a ruckus, it may well have been Adam Costa. The reason for the outburst? He’d just received the email telling him he’d earned a Fulbright award that will allow him to spend a year working on his research in Manchester, England.
“It’s a dream come true,” the Rochester resident said. “I’d been waiting to find out for so long. I was literally freaking out.”
Adam, who will graduate in May as a Commonwealth Honors Student with a degree in political science (and a concentration in public administration), will use the Fulbright to begin a master’s program in politics at the University of Manchester, and continue the comparative research he started at BSU on youth violence reduction programs in Manchester and Massachusetts. His Fulbright year will begin in September.
“Adam’s selection is truly remarkable,” said Dr. Deborah Nemko, who is a professor of music but also serves as Bridgewater’s Fulbright program adviser. The number of Fulbright awards for BSU students and alumni has been on the rise in the past few years.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program received a record 10,000 applications during this latest round.
Adam recalled all the work that went into his application and the attendant essay. He credited many BSU faculty members and administrators with helping him earn the award.
“They had a huge impact,” he said. “You know that saying, ‘It takes a village?’ Bridgewater is that village.”
Professor Nemko echoed this sentiment.
“The Fulbright award is the result of a community of supportive mentors and several months of hard work and quite a lot of sleepless nights on the part of Adam and his crew,” she said.
She cited the efforts of Amy Couto; Honors Program Director Teresa King; recommenders Jason Edwards and Melinda Tarsi; campus evaluation team members Khadija Monk and Wendy Wright; and fellowship advisory board members including Dean Paula Krebs, Alba Aragon, James Crowley, Diana Fox, Saritha Nellutla, Magaly Ponce, Jenifer Sarver, Ellen Scheible, Jenny Shanahan and Wing-kai To.
Adam also expressed his gratitude to former Ambassador Vern Penner, who serves as BSU’s diplomat in residence.