Each year, Gettysburg College students continue represent the United States as Fulbright recipients, sharing the knowledge and skills they gained through our liberal arts and sciences education with new students all around the world.
Every year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers competitive fellowships to support students across the nation who wish to pursue advanced studies, research, or teaching opportunities abroad. This year, three Gettysburg students were named Fulbright semifinalists and two received prestigious grants to go abroad: Josh Judson ’25 (Poland) and Trevor Weakly ’26 (Germany).
In the past three years, eight Gettysburg College students have been awarded grants, which is nearly 20% of the College’s historic total. Since 2024, five students have received awards to German-speaking countries, Germany or Austria. This year also saw the first STEM Fulbright recipient from Gettysburg since 2019.
Through their global experiences, these students will have the opportunity to employ the knowledge and enduring skills they gained at Gettysburg to grow personally and professionally and represent the United States in foreign countries.
“In a highly competitive environment, Gettysburg students once again showed off their credentials on the biggest stage,” said German Studies Prof. Tres Lambert, who oversees the Fulbright program on campus. “All of our finalists and semifinalists this year had extensive and intensive experience abroad, which is a concrete demonstration of the payoff that global engagement can provide. At a time when cross-cultural understanding is more important than ever, it’s an honor to see these students go on to pursue life- and potentially world-changing opportunities.”
Partnering with 160 countries around the world, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the United States government. It offers experiences in all academic disciplines to graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals through study and research grants as well as English Teaching Assistantships. Fulbright recipients live, work, and learn from natives of their host country, growing their intercultural fluency skills in the classroom and field of work, and go on to serve consequential roles in their careers as global citizens and leaders.
This year’s honorees are:
Josh Judson ’25
- Hometown: Arvada, Colorado
- Major: Biology
- Minor: History
- Fulbright Honor: Recipient of Fulbright research grant in Poland
“During my time at Gettysburg, I had the privilege of pursuing a wide range of experiences, including performing research through X-SIG with Dr. Angel Solis, running on the cross country and track teams, living in STEM house, and much more. I also studied abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, and the experience motivated me to apply for a Fulbright research grant in Poland.
“There, I'll be working in a lab that investigates potential treatments for eczema in the beautiful city of Gdańsk. I’m excited to learn more about the Polish people, what makes Poland unique, and how the country is continuing to grow and evolve. I enjoy spending time outdoors, being with friends and my church community, and going on adventures that push me outside of my comfort zone.”
– Josh Judson ’25
Trevor Weakly ’26
- Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
- Majors: German studies and history
- Minor: Anthropology and public history
- Fulbright Honor: Recipientof Fulbright Teaching Assistant (ETA) award in Germany
“After my Fulbright grant, I plan to pursue a master’s degree and continue on in the field of public history. I will further develop my pedagogical skills while teaching English in Germany, which will play a role in my career.
“I already have a strong connection to Germany. I studied abroad in Freiburg for two semesters. I loved living there for a year and I am excited for this opportunity to give back to the community. I would like to thank Prof. Lambert for his unfailing support throughout the application process.”
– Trevor Weakly ’26
Aidan Martin ’26
- Hometown: Middleburgh, New York
- Majors: Globalization studies (IGS) and Spanish
- Minor: History and political science
- Fulbright Honor: Semifinalistfor Fulbright Teaching Assistant (ETA) award in Spain
For the 2026-2027 award cycle, semifinalists were notified in January and finalist notifications were released beginning in April 2026. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is currently accepting applications for the 2027-2028 award cycle until the national deadline of Oct. 6, 2026. Students or alumni interested in applying for a Fulbright grant through Gettysburg College should contact Prof. Tres Lambert at rlambert@gettysburg.edu.
“With the incredible experiences in area studies, and our wealth of study abroad options, I look forward to recruiting another cohort of excellent and well-prepared candidates for the 2027-28 application cycle,” added Lambert.
About the Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright Program was introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and passed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946. Each year, about 8,000 students, teachers, and professors from the United States and 160 countries receive grant awards, which are grounded in the notion of promoting “mutual and cross-cultural understanding” after the conclusion of World War II. In all, since the program was established, more than 400,000 Fulbright recipients have pursued global studies, research, and teaching in 165 countries. Fulbright alumni have included 62 Nobel Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 41 current or former heads of state or government.
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By Megan Miller
Photo by Jason Minick
Posted: 07/02/26