By William Lineberry
Honors College

Five recent graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University have been selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program – one of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships in the country – for the 2025-26 academic year.

The Fulbright program is sponsored by the federal government to increase understanding between Americans and the people of other countries. It operates in more than 140 countries, and more than 2,000 grants are awarded annually to graduating college seniors, graduate students and recent alums. Fulbright scholars receive funding to teach English abroad, conduct research, pursue creative projects or study for a graduate degree.

The five Fulbright recipients from VCU for the 2025-26 academic year are:

• Vishnu Alavala, a August 2025 graduate of the Honors College with a degree in biology from the College of Humanities and Sciences. Alavala will be traveling to Taiwan.
• Swara Chokshi, a May 2025 graduate of the Honors College with a degree in bioinformatics from the College of Humanities and Sciences. Chokshi will be traveling to Bulgaria.

• Ireolu Orenuga, a May 2023 Honors College graduate with a degree in chemical and life science engineering from the College of Engineering. Orenuga will be traveling to Nigeria.
• Luis Campos-Santos, a December 2023 graduate with a degree in political science from the College of Humanities and Sciences. Campos-Santos will be traveling to Argentina.
• William Wilson, a May 2025 graduate with a degree creative advertising from the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication. Wilson will be traveling to Germany.

“There’s something deeply affirming about witnessing our students step into the world as Fulbright Scholars,” said Beverly J. Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Their placements – spanning Argentina, Germany, Taiwan, Bulgaria and Nigeria – remind us of the power of education to cross borders and cultivate understanding. These students embody the spirit of VCU: bold in ambition, generous in curiosity and supported by an unstoppable university community that believes in their potential. We celebrate them not just for this achievement, but for the promise they carry forward.”

The recipients continue an upward trend of multiple honorees from VCU on an annual basis. Since the founding in 2006 of the VCU National Scholarship Office, which assists students in applying for national and international scholarships, more than 99 students and alums have received Fulbright scholarships.

Each Fulbright candidate for the 2025-26 cycle applied with the support and encouragement of the NSO. Current students and recent alums can visit the NSO website to register for upcoming information sessions, learn more about other external funding opportunities and schedule an appointment with a staff member.

“It takes a huge amount of dedication and courage to craft and submit a Fulbright application, and we are fortunate to have so many amazing VCU students willing to represent our university in this competition year after year,” said Meredith Sisson, Ph.D., associate director of the NSO. “The five recipients going abroad this fall truly represent all that VCU has to offer in terms of creativity, intellect, curiosity and ambition. We at the NSO are honored to have the opportunity to get to know these students and alumni as we work with them on their applications, and we can’t wait to see what adventures the next year has for them.”