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Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships

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Roadmap to Fellowships

One of the best ways to prepare for a fellowship opportunity is to engage as an undergraduate student in activities and studies that provide a strong foundation for that fellowship. There are many ways to build your profile while learning new skills and testing your abilities and affinities for the fellowship work in which you plan to engage. The key to a successful fellowship application is to seek out 'stackable' experiences that provide a foundation for the fellowship(s) you've identified, that help you to create a genuinely compelling, substantial personal narrative that shows your commitment to the field of endeavor that fellowship addresses. Even if you are starting to explore fellowships as a junior or senior, it's not too late to pursue the studies and experiences (leadership and service) that establish a persuasive basis for a fellowship application.

Of course, some fellowships (the Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell), in supporting graduate study in the United Kingdom or in Ireland, are going to be primarily about exceptional academic achievement. These distinguished fellowships also value demonstrated leadership as well as academic and civic potential. Many other fellowships (the Rangel and Pickering, Truman, Gaither, Scoville and FAO Schwarz and more) are all in different ways focused on public service, foreign affairs, international development, human rights, peace and security issues... and so on! Important gap year fellowships focus on teaching English in a host country (and are NOT just for education studies majors) - Fulbright, JET (teaching English in Japan), TAPIF (teaching English in France), NALCAP (teaching English in Spain) and more. Find the appropriate clubs, organizations, community organizations and more that help you truly engage in the field of your interest. Model UN, the Model Arab League, language study, study abroad, participation in an adult literacy program or neighborhood association or refugee resettlement organization - all are tremendously useful as well as good in themselves!

Opportunities to pursue include the GVSU Lakers Venture Grant (opens in a new window) and the many opportunities and resources available for undergraduate student researchers and scholars in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (opens in a new window) - and note, particularly, International Undergraduate Research (opens in a new window)

Students walking on campus in front of library

Career Center Resources

The Grand Valley State University Career Center offers a wealth of resources for students seeking information about how best to choose educational and co-curricular opportunities as undergraduates and beyond. The links below open out into information about majors and connected internships, service opportunities, related student organizations and alumni profile snapshots. Explore and enjoy!

Contacts for Internships, Co-ops, and Projects - GVSU Career Center - Grand Valley State University

Career Guides by Major - GVSU Career Center - Grand Valley State University (opens in a new window) - Use Career Guides by Major to map out your plan. Each guide includes sample career paths; internship ideas; graduate, professional, and certificate programs to consider; major-related study abroad experiences, student organizations, skill sets; and other helpful resources. So many choices!  What will you choose? *Each guide includes a sampling of internship and job sites, speak with your career advisor to learn more.

Career Communities - GVSU Career Center - Grand Valley State University (opens in a new window) - What is a Career Community? Our Career Communities are a way for you to connect with fellow students, faculty, career advisors, employers and career content related to specific industry types. Communities provide information, opportunities for exploration, and connections related to your areas of interest. The world of work is not always a direct connection from your major to a specific job and career communities are a great way to connect with resources, events and communication directly related to the industries you are interested in.

Pathways to Work in (or with) the United Nations

There is no single path into work with the UN. However, there are a number of useful resources that can help you find the right organization for you and can lead you to entry-level volunteer and internship opportunities. 

The top 5 paid internships at the United Nations systems are within these organizations: UNICEF, UNSSC, UNOPS, and UNAOC

Examples

If you are interested in one of the many distinguished fellowships leading to foreign service, federal service within the US, or international development and service:

If you are interested in STEM fellowships:

  • Engage in undergraduate research at GVSU during the academic year and over the summer
  • Seek out summer research internships in labs and field stations in Michigan and through competitive undergraduate research internship experiences such as SULI and SURF at a federal lab
  • Gain experience through an REU
  • Work closely with faculty mentors; talk with them about pathways to graduate study
  • Be informed about the social, public policy and ethical impacts of your research field
  • Be a mentor and support for other students in STEM
  • Take thoughtful leadership in STEM-focused organizations on campus and beyond

If you are interested in a Fulbright US Student English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) award that would enable you to teach English in one of the many countries that participate in the Fulbright program (or another ETA program such as JET, EPIK, TAPIF, USTA, etc:

  • Get involved in supporting and working with international students at GVSU
  • Volunteer with English-language lessons for a refugee resettlement organization or with an adult literacy program in Grand Rapids or in your hometown
  • Gain TESOL or TEFL certification
  • Pursue an education major or minor or an applied linguistics minor
  • Major or minor in the area studies program of your greatest interest
  • Study abroad on a semester or year-long program
  • Pursue language study with the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program (opens in a new window)
  • Become a Writing Consultant within the Writing Center at GVSU.  

If you are interested in a distinguished fellowship award for graduate study in the United Kingdom or Ireland (Marshall, Rhodes, Mitchell):

  • Maintain outstanding grades
  • Engage in substantive undergraduate research
  • Seek out leadership and service opportunities connected with your academic interests and career aspirations
  • Be deeply informed about the social, public policy and ethical impacts of your academic field
  • Explore the admission requirements and application deadlines of the university you plan to attend 
  • Seek the advice of faculty mentors, advisors and the Fellowships Office
  • Reach out to those whom you will ask for detailed, careful, positive letters of recommendation 

Service in Grand Rapids and Western Michigan

Service with an Environmental Focus

 

Resources for Political Involvement and International Engagement

Service with a Global Reach Administered by Faith-Based Organizations

Note about international engagement, particularly international volunteerism and development work:

A rich array of opportunities are available to you! The links above are simply a starting point. In addition to the organization web pages listed, you may wish to begin your search by browsing the aggregator web pages www.goabroad.com (opens in a new window) and www.gooverseas.com (opens in a new window)—both offer searchable databases of international options: you may choose the mode of engagement (study, volunteerism, internships, teaching English, and more) or the region or country in which you are interested. The IIE Passport (opens in a new window) searchable database offers another valuable search site. 
Some of these opportunities are primarily intended for recent college graduates, and some (many) are also available to undergraduate students who can devote a summer to an internship or volunteer/service experience.
Ethical engagement in service learning matters. Please consider intentions, motives, impact and ongoing commitments as you explore possibilities for service. Here are some useful resources: Welcome to the Better Care Network! | Better Care Network (opens in a new window). (You might also search for the article "Fair Trade Learning: Ethical standards for community-engaged international volunteer tourism.") And this page offers a set of useful checks on the integrity of a international volunteer program: 7 red flags when considering an international volunteer program - Matador Network  (opens in a new window).

Page last modified June 29, 2026