Obviously, there is a near-endless variety of recognitions awarded to students at the College of William and Mary, far too many to acknowledge on an individual basis. But occasionally, some recipients deserve explicit congratulations. The College’s 13 recipients of the Fulbright scholarship, the prestigious federal grant awarded to recent graduates hoping to continue their educations abroad, are just such students. Not only are these students a boon to the College — which was ranked first in the state for Fulbright recipients and 23rd nationally — but they are also an important reminder of the increasingly international foundation of academic scholarship.
Students at the College have a long history of emphasizing interaction with foreign cultures, whether through study-abroad programs or through other international studies, but it is especially heartening to see this interest continue past the undergraduate level. Oftentimes, it’s easy to forget that no matter your field — be it ecological preservation or the political impact of typography — each scholar is part of a larger international dialogue. Cross-cultural discussion is essential to stressing the necessarily global impact of any program of study.
We are also glad to see a rating based not on questionably quantified variables, but on a substantive evaluation of College students. Although we often take rankings with a grain of salt, this is one of which the College should be proud, and deservedly so.