Davidson-Davie’s Dr. Sarah Wright receives prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award
{Dr. Sarah Wright, pictured with students at Musee d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, France, during a recent Study Abroad Program. Contributed Photo}
Davidson-Davie Community College is celebrating an honor that one of their own has earned – Dr. Sarah Wright, director of the International Education program, has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2026-2027 competition.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Wright will travel to Germany as part of the Germany International Education Administrators Program. There, she hopes to learn with – and from – her 16 colleagues and German hosts about the German higher education system. “I hope to work and develop partnerships with schools in Germany that may lead to study abroad or exchange opportunities for students,” Wright noted.
“At Davidson-Davie, Wright leads an international education program that is rare among community colleges, with robust offerings of globalized courses, international travel and visiting scholars, said Dr. Christy Forrest, vice president of Academic Programs and Services. “Our offerings include programs such as short-term study abroad, transfer opportunities at international institutions, partnerships with Denmark, France and Australia. The college also hosts students and faculty from institutions abroad for short-term programs.”
Even with all her experience leading international programs, becoming a Fulbright Scholar was not something Wright ever even imagined for herself. “I never imagined I’d apply and become a Fulbright Scholar because I did not take a direct path to a career in education or international education,” she explained. “I also never expected to be selected. Hearing from colleagues like Tim Gwillim who was a Fulbright Scholar in the same program a few years ago and others, their experiences were transformative and brought great benefit to their schools. I felt as though the program would be beneficial for us as a school, as well as a good fit for me.”
Wright will spend two weeks in November with her group as a cohort in Berlin. She’s already been prepping, talking with members in her group from Purdue University and West Virginia University. “We will break off into smaller groups to visit other areas in Germany while we are there.”
She hopes to have the opportunity to develop partnerships with schools in Germany to facilitate an exchange program or host German students here. However, she says a major part of her role is serving as a voice for community colleges. “I’m in the space with four-year university partners. … (Community colleges) are here. We are doing the work. I know we cannot implement the same programs as universities … but I like seeing what others are doing and determining how we can scale it to our situation.”
Wright said she enters all opportunities and partnerships open-minded and loves learning from her colleagues at other schools in this country and beyond.
“I will certainly bring my experience back and share it widely. I also want to make sure leaders at schools in Germany and at four-year schools within the United States understand the value that we, as a community college, can bring to the setting and the conversation,” Wright said. “In the end, I’m simply excited to learn. I love learning for the sake of learning, but I also like the challenge of applying what I’m learning in our local context. Additionally, being able to spend two weeks in a country provides an opportunity to feel less like of a visitor and more like a resident, so I am grateful for the two-week tenure in Germany.”
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as a bold investment in global peace and American prosperity through educational and cultural exchange. Fulbright provides opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbright Scholar Awards are among the most prestigious fellowships in academia and helps to advance academic excellence through teaching and research abroad. Scholars return with new insights and collaborations and fresh perspectives that are able to not only enrich classrooms but also inspire students and strengthen educational efforts. Notable awards received by Fulbright alumni include:
63 Nobel Prizes
98 Pulitzer Prizes
83 MacArthur Fellowships
In addition, Fulbright alumni include thousands of global experts and leaders across academia, government, business, and the non-profit sector.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.
Davidson-Davie Community College (www.DavidsonDavie.edu), which incorporated Davie County into its name in 2021, is a fully accredited, multi-campus college where students of all ages and backgrounds pursue academic and career-focused education in order to build successful futures. As one of 58 institutions within the North Carolina Community College System, Davidson-Davie offers more than 40 degree and professional certificate programs, as well as affordable college-credit coursework to students who plan to transfer to four-year schools. With a mission to serve the changing needs of students competing in a global environment, Davidson-Davie is committed to quality education, innovative and equitable learning experiences, training, and support across a wide range of 21st-century career fields.
