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Full of Bright Ideas: 2005 Fulbright Recipient Evelyn Baca
By Jovie Baclayon
Evelyn Baca, who graduated from Pepperdine in May 2005, has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. Baca, who holds bachelor’s degrees in international studies and Spanish, will be teaching English in Madrid, Spain, to school children and studying their primary education system. “I’m looking forward to the direct interaction I will have with the people of Madrid through my teaching position and research,” says Baca, who left September 9 for a yearlong sojourn.
The Arizona native credits Pepperdine with introducing her to the world abroad. Baca studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina, through the University’s International Programs office, which led her to change her major to International Studies. She also completed an internship through Pepperdine in Washington, D.C. at the Institute of Cultural Affairs.
The Argentina program was also the primary influence behind her decision to apply for the Fulbright Scholarship. “I love to travel and get know different cultures,” says Baca. “However, I cannot fail to mention my older sister, Joanie, and my advisor, Dr. Robert Lloyd, who encouraged me through all of the revisions of my application. They both helped me believe in my own proposal.”
A constant high achiever, Baca, who was a member of Pepperdine’s cross-country team, was named to the West Coast Conference commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2004 and 2005. When she returns from Madrid, Baca will focus her attention on graduate school.
The highly competitive Fulbright program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Since its inception, more than 255,000 national and international grant recipients have participated in the program, which awards approximately 4,500 new grants annually. Fulbright alumni include Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, governors and senators, ambassadors and artists, prime ministers and heads of state, professors and scientists, Supreme Court Justices, and CEOs.
