Alma College student earns M.J.J. Smith Society Scholarship and is named Fulbright Scholar

Soon-to-be graduate of Alma College Maria Vostrizansky has received two prestigious awards as she prepares to move on to life after her undergraduate career. She was named the recipient of the M.J.J. Smith Society Scholarship, which awards one outstanding History graduate per year with up to $25,000 for post-graduate education, and as a Fulbright Scholar, which gives her the opportunity to teach English in the Czech Republic.

In an article on Alma College's website, Vostrizansky is quoted as describing her win of the M.J.J. Smith Society Scholarship: “Back in high school, I knew I wanted to study history, so I looked at the Alma College website and read about this scholarship. Knowing that there were resources like this that were available to me really drove my decision to come to Alma in the first place. So, winning this award is kind of like a full-circle moment for me. It was a lot of work and I’m really grateful for all of the support I’ve received here. The history department at Alma College is truly second to none.”

Vostrizansky’s senior thesis, entitled “Yugoslavia as an American Cold War Asset: Examining the Truman Administration’s Approach to Anti-Communism and Strategic Alliances,” combined her passion for both history and politics.

The M.J.J. Smith Society Scholarship is named for a former History and Pre-Law faculty member and is awarded to one graduate each year who is seen as an outstanding student in the History department.

The Smith Society Scholarship is not Vostrizansky’s only honor as she prepares to leave Alma University. She was also named a Fulbright Scholar, also claiming the honor of being Alma’s 30th Fulbright Scholar since 2003. 

In another article on Alma College's website, Vostrizansky explained the process of applying for the Fulbright Scholar program: “There was a lot of hard work that was put into this application, but it was definitely worth it. I’m really grateful to Dr. Sandy Hulme and the Nationally Competitive Scholarship Committee at Alma College, who continuously pushed me to make edits and make my application the very best that it could be. I’m really looking forward to going to the Czech Republic and representing Alma College in this new way. Alma’s faculty and staff — namely Drs. Hulme, Liping Bu and Kristin Olbertson — have helped me in incredible ways since I started here,” she said.

The Competitive Scholarship Committee assists students in searching for scholarships they may qualify for and then helps them review their submission materials before they are sent out.

Vostrizansky will be using her Fulbright Scholar award to teach English in the Czech Republic from August 2024 to June 2025. She was inspired to take this path following a previous experience at Alma College that allowed her to teach in India: the Posey Global Leadership Fellows Program. When Vostrizansky returns from her Fulbright Scholar experience in 2025, she will be attending The Fletcher School at Tufts University to earn her master’s degree in law and diplomacy.

For more information about Alma College, visit the school’s website.