Through outreach to the campus community, the Fellowships Advisor seeks to develop a campus culture that identifies and encourages motivated students to pursue these enriching educational opportunities. Faculty, staff, and teaching assistant mentors play critical roles in identifying and recruiting students for many opportunities, especially the nationally competitive scholarships. As you work with your students, you may be the person who first introduces them to the various fellowship and scholarship opportunities available.

• Early identification/recruitment of the student is very important. Students can be identified as early as the freshman year, requiring support by individual faculty, departments, and colleges before any application begins.
• Talented students should be encouraged to participate in high-impact practices (HIPs), such as learning communities and experiential learning programs, and to apply for opportunities, such as undergraduate research and internships, that will help them in the application down the road.
• There is also great educational value in the application process itself, whether a student wins a fellowship or not. Our learning objectives communicate this value to students, faculty, and staff.

Referrals appreciated:

• Undergraduate students: To refer an undergraduate student, please contact Courtney Santos, Director of National & International Fellowships, courtney.santos@unl.edu. Your student will be provided access to our Canvas advising course resources and personalized application materials feedback. Your student can also book a National Fellowships advising appointment through MyPLAN.
• Graduate students may request feedback on fellowship applications through the Office of Graduate Studies Consultation Services.

Reach for the Stars: Inspiring At-Promise Students to Become Fellowship Applicants

2022 Academic Advising Association (AAA) Conference Presentation

Courtney Santos, Director, National & International Fellowships, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Advisors play critical roles in recruiting students for advancement opportunities, especially competitive scholarships and fellowships. Using student success narratives and discussion questions, we will explore strategies for identifying students who may be competitive for campus, national, or international awards, such as Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, and graduate research fellowships. Participants will learn how to encourage at-promise (first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority) students to see themselves as potential applicants; participate in high-impact practices, such as undergraduate research and experiential learning, that can advance their fellowship goals; and articulate the value and impact of the fellowship application and experience for their professional development.

Presentation requests:

Please contact Courtney Santos, Director of National and International Fellowships, if you would like to schedule a presentation for a class, department meeting, student club, or other gatherings.

• For student audiences, more focused workshops on personal statements or statements of purpose can also be scheduled.
• For faculty and staff audiences, we can also provide professional development workshops on topics such as writing effective letters of recommendation.

Virtual Professional Development Opportunity for Faculty, Staff, and Teaching Assistants

Identifying & Mentoring Candidates for National Fellowship Opportunities

You are invited to a special event to discuss establishing strong recruitment pipelines for undersubscribed national and international fellowship opportunities. Please join us on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 3:30-5:00 pm.* See full event details and register here.

*Please note the new date and time; this event was rescheduled from September 8 to September 22, 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience.