FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2004

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515), 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

TWO RECENT DRADE GRADUATES RECEIVE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIPS

Two recent graduates of Drake University have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships. Shalene Breci of Des Moines received a scholarship to fund a 13-month English teaching assistantship in South Korea while Mira Yusef of Des Moines received a scholarship to support her research on Muslim women in the Philippines.

"The award of a Fulbright Scholarship is a powerful indicator of the excellence of the applicant's educational preparation, as well - of course - of the excellence of the applicant's proposal for study and research," said Drake University President David Maxwell. "As an alumnus of the Fulbright Program (Moscow, 1970-71), and a Fulbright adviser for eight years, I can personally attest to the power of a sustained engagement in another culture as an enriching, life-altering experience. It is a rare opportunity - one to be cherished - and I am delighted that two recent Drake graduates are able to take advantage of it. We're very proud of them."

Drake has never before had two Fulbright scholars at the same time, said Eleanor Zeff, assistant professor of politics and international relations. She helped Breci and Yusef prepare their extensive
applications for the scholarships.

Breci, who earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and sociology from Drake, plans to leave July 5 for South Korea, where she will receive six weeks of intensive training before being assigned to a school.

"In my studies at Drake, I learned how not to judge others on the basis of difference and I was educated about the benefits of learning from others," Breci said. "I'm looking forward to living in and learning about a new culture. I feel prepared through my courses and am confident that I have a good understanding of what to expect."

Yusef, who earned her bachelor's degree in history from Drake and received the Keach Johnson Award, which is presented annually to an outstanding senior majoring in history, is a native of the Philippines. She came to the United States as a teen-ager and worked as a legal assistant before pursuing a college education. A mother of two, she has been working as the Asian community outreach coordinator for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

She plans to travel to the Manila this summer to begin interviewing Muslim Filipinas who work in domestic positions in the Middle East and return to their native land whenever possible. Yusef said she has wanted to research this subject ever since she heard about the 1995 case of Sarah Balabagan, a 16-year-old Muslim Filipina who was tried in the United Arab Emirates for stabbing her employer for raping her. The court found her guilty and pronounced a death sentence, but because of protests by human rights organizations, the court subsequently reduced the punishment to a fine of $41,000, a year in prison and 100 lashes.

"This story not only illustrates the lack of security and legal protection for young Filipina immigrants in foreign countries, but also the power of international human rights groups to engage in transnational advocacy," Yusef said. She added that she hopes her research will lead to "a better understanding of the plight of Muslim Filipinas in the Philippines and the Middle East, and serve as a catalyst to improve working and living conditions for all migrant workers, especially those in the Middle East."