It's no secret that the lessons learned in athletics deepen and mirror the hard work (and fun) of learning. All too often, athletes live a separate life, surrounded by teammates, coaches, and their personal crew: parents and friends. Forget the tired phrase, "striving for excellence," heard so often in competitive environments like Dartmouth. Getting through a day can be breathless. Time is precious; weaving academics and athletics is hard. There are only so many hours in the day. How could applying for a National Fellowship possibly fit in a student-athlete's busy schedule?
Dartmouth student-athletes have access to three primary areas of support: DP2 academic support staff, their dean, and the Academic Skills Center and Peer Tutoring Program. In addition, dedicated people are trained to meet the full spectrum of student-athlete needs — from mental health to mental performance — through two specialized service areas: Sport and Counseling Psychology, and Leadership and Mental Performance.
Applying for post-graduate fellowships can seem daunting, but there's another source of support: the Fellowships Office. These applications, whether for Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships, Study/Research grants, Rhodes, Marshall, or a host of other scholarships, all include opportunities to tell the stories of lessons learned in sport. Leadership, teamwork, patience, self-knowledge, empathy, curiosity, drive—these are the qualities judges and panelists want to see in a fellowship application. And every athlete has a story to tell that reveals one, if not all, of these qualities.
Need inspiration? Here are just a few of the successful applicants who used their experiences as varsity and club athletes in their essays:
Conor Shaheen '25 is now a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Colombia. A government major, modified with economics, with a minor in Hispanic studies, Shaheen was a coxswain for the men's heavyweight crew at Dartmouth. In his Fulbright application he wrote:
I developed patience and communication skills by teaching incoming high school freshmen to row. The rowing stroke is a complex motion that doesn't come naturally to beginners. It is also physically exhausting, and the heat of Washington, D.C. summers make spending long hours outdoors particularly challenging. Starting from scratch with young students already anxious about the transition to high school was a difficult task. I learned the importance of patience, clear communication, and building confidence in beginners. These skills directly apply to helping students navigate the challenges of learning English. Learning Spanish often felt unnatural to me, and I know that working through a new language can be mentally taxing. By gradually advancing through sentence complexity and vocabulary, I will ensure each student has a solid foundation to build on before moving forward.
Arjun Anand '26, a Rhodes finalist and winner of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, wrote in his Rhodes application:
As captain of my club tennis team, I had to tell a dedicated senior that he would not be in the lineup for an important match. He was devastated. By the data—his recent practice performance—the decision was clear. But I knew a human problem couldn't be solved with just the "correct" answer. I sat with him, listened to his frustration, and then asked him to channel his experience into coaching the younger players. He became our most vocal supporter. That experience taught me that leadership is not just about chasing the most correct or efficient outcome, but also ensuring people feel heard. Watching the diplomats in Geneva, I saw the same principle at play.
James Quirk '25, now a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Switzerland, was a computer engineering major with a minor in French, and an Alpine club ski racer (and a U.S. Chess Federation-rated player since 2012). His experience as a ski racer influenced his choice to apply for a fellowship in Switzerland:
As a member of Dartmouth's alpine ski racing team, I am particularly drawn to Switzerland for its mountainous terrain and enthusiasm for winter sports. During the rest of the year, I would develop my understanding of Swiss geography and culture by hiking through the country's expansive countryside as I have done as an experienced member of the Dartmouth Outing Club.
Gary Jiang '25, a math and studio art double major, with a minor in German studies, is currently enjoying his Fulbright in Austria. Jiang was a member of the men's club volleyball team. In his application, he addressed the question of proposed community engagement in the following way:
My engagement with students at the University of Vienna will include participating in volleyball, a sport that has allowed me to connect with people from diverse backgrounds in the U.S.
Daniel (Danny) Will '25 received a Fulbright award to Germany. A biomedical engineering major, Will was a pitcher on the baseball team, and the co-founder of the nonprofit Teen Vision. He wrote:
I hope to develop personal friendships by mentoring Erlangen youth and playing and coaching baseball with the Erlangen White Sox. My Fulbright project is pivotal to establishing long-term, collaborative relationships between the U.S. and the people of Germany.
As a Varsity baseball player at Dartmouth, I plan on playing and coaching youth baseball with the Erlangen White Sox. This past summer, invited by Mr. Volker Lang, Head of the Erlangen White Sox baseball team, I played in regional games and coached about 40 players from Germany and Japan among their three age-division teams. I held extra practice sessions and private lessons, providing players with individualized drills to increase and broaden their skills. I recall a very enthusiastic 13- year-old who immediately became passionate about the drills, certain learning points in the lessons, and video analysis. I believe the International Olympic Committee President, Germany's Thomas Bach, encapsulated the power of sport when he said, "Like no other human activity, sport is about bringing people together in the spirit of friendship and respect." I aspire to pass along the lessons and the value of teamwork in achieving more collectively than an individual can achieve alone.
Patience, clear communication, confidence-building, empathy, leadership, love for landscape, collaboration, connection, teamwork…the list of life lessons is long. And they can be the keys to a successful application that shows readers the applicant is a strong, motivated, and self-reflective candidate. Sometimes, talking through pivotal experiences in sport with a fellowship advisor can help a student-athlete uncover a compelling story within their life experience.
