LEWISTON — Abby Westberry, of Readfield,  a 2015 graduate of Maranacook Community School is one of twenty-five members of the Bates College Class of 2019 and young alumni to have received offers of the highly competitive Fulbright Student fellowships for the 2019-20 academic year. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It sends Americans to dozens of countries to teach, study, or conduct research, promoting international understanding.

Westberry, the daughter of Mr. Joseph P. and Dr. Nicola C. Westberry of Readfield, Maine, was offered an English Teaching Assistant award. She will be traveling to India.

Deeply involved in the greater community during her time at Bates, Westberry has worked as a tutor at a local elementary school, intern coordinator at the Maine District Court in Lewiston, and a tutor at two nonprofits, Tree Street Youth and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine. On campus, she is a writing and speaking tutor at the Academic Resource Commons.

Upon her return to the U.S., she plans to pursue a joint degree in law and social policy with a focus on housing.

“This is another extraordinary year for Fulbright awards at Bates,” said Bates President Clayton Spencer. “These highly competitive fellowships provide graduates with immersive experiences across the globe. The success of our students in gaining these opportunities is a testament to the strength and breadth of the education they receive at Bates, the depth of their engagement in ideas and real-world problems, and the power of their relationships with faculty mentors.”

Named a Top Producer of Fulbright Student awards for the last eight consecutive years, Bates was recognized in 2017-18 for having the most awards among all U.S. bachelor’s degree institutions.

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading college of the liberal arts, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world. Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community.

With a commitment to affordability, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion or national origin. Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world.