Chloe Cleland ’25 Wins Fulbright For First Time In 5 Decades of Converse History
Written by Amanda Mathis
It hit her out of the blue. Chloe Cleland ’25 (Nisbet Scholar), a Converse University senior who graduated this May as a triple major (History, Psychology, Philosophy; Nisbet Honors) and a minor in Women’s Studies while being a student-athlete, says she realized her next life chapter while sitting in a professor’s office last spring.
“It was an advising meeting with Dr. [Edward] Woodfin, and we started discussing my plans after graduation, and he suggested the Fulbright Scholarship,” said Cleland. “I knew about the program, but I had never considered myself at the level to actually be competitive for it. After that meeting with Dr. Woodfin, I felt more confident that I could work towards this goal and achieve it.”
The Fulbright Scholarship is not just any scholarship; it is an opportunity, according to their website, “to expand students’ worldview, establish a global network of like-minded scholars, and bring the world back into their classroom.”
“Ms. Cleland is our gold standard for Converse University student-athletes.”
Dr. Reed Chewning
A Standard of Excellence
Chloe Cleland is not simply striving for excellence in the classroom- she is an excellent student, and those characteristics are what Dr. Woodfin saw when meeting her four years ago as a freshman.
“Ms. Cleland is our gold standard for Converse University student-athletes,” said Dr. Reed Chewning, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning. “She will graduate with more than 175 undergraduate hours completed while competing as a Division II athlete. During her summers away from home, she dedicated herself to conducting research, and while she was here, she focused on serving as a leader on our campus in the classroom, in clubs, and on her team.”
Due to her interest in the Acrobatics & Tumbling Team, Converse University was on the map for Chloe, though a bit of a haul from Medina, Ohio. After visiting campus, she decided: “I quickly realized that Converse was the best for me, academically. I wanted a traditional liberal arts education in addition to participating in college athletics, and Converse provided me with the strongest academics along with a nationally ranked athletic program,” Cleland considered.
“Converse provided me with the strongest academics along with a nationally ranked athletic program.”
Chloe Cleland ’25
She grew into a leader in and outside the classroom during her time here. Alongside Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise and student Abeeha Sajid, she co-founded and co-led the Converse Interfaith Club. Cleland was also a part of the esteemed Nisbet Honors program, a member of the Acrobatics & Tumbling Team, a member of Converse College for Women, and was a peer tutor for psychology and philosophy. She was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Sigma Iota Foreign Language honors society, and the Gamma Sigma honors society throughout her four years, and conducted many different research projects including a project funded by the INBRE grant, and a project funded by the SCICU grant. She was also selected to participate in the competitive Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Connecticut last summer. Throughout her time at Converse, she was named to the Conference Carolinas Second Team All-Conference (’23, ’24, and ‘25), was named the Elite 23 winner (‘24 and ‘25), a finalist for the 2024-25 Murphy Osborne Award, NCATA All-Academic team, and NCATA Academic Honor Roll (’22, ’23, and ’24).
“I found at Converse that there were many people who wanted to help me along the way.”
Chloe Cleland ’25
“I found at Converse that there were many people who wanted to help me along the way,” said Cleland when describing her Fulbright application experience. “Dr. Woodfin and Dr. Chewning provided guidance navigating the complex application process. Rebecca Parrish and Dr. Howard edited my essays. Dr. DeLapp, Dr. Keen, and Rev. Eliza Smith DeBevoise provided recommendations, and Dr. Templeton, Dr. Knipe, and Dr. Good offered their expertise during the mock interviews.”
The Wait Is Over
Cleland learned she was awarded the Fulbright Research / Study Scholarship this May. It is the first time in more than 50 years that a Converse student received a fellowship of this caliber.
When looking at the statistics of those applying for this honor, “the stats don’t show that these are 1,000 perfect applications, representing the top person or two from hundreds of universities,” said Dr. Woodfin. “They aren’t 1,000 random college students but highly qualified candidates who have been vetted by their universities and undergo a lengthy application process.”
The Fulbright Fellowship will allow Cleland to pursue a master’s degree in neuroscience at the University of Sussex starting in September. While there, she will join the lab of Dr. Julia Simner and her MULTISENSE Lab, which conducts research on synesthesia, a neurological condition where stimulation of one sense (like hearing) triggers involuntary, automatic experiences in another sense (like seeing), or even a different cognitive domain.
“I called my parents [Kent Cleland and Karen Widder] immediately to tell them, because they’ve been my biggest supporters throughout this entire process,” said Cleland. It was not the first time a Cleland child had called their parents to announce a Fulbright scholarship. Cleland’s older brother, Larkin, received a Fulbright scholarship to study in Hungary after graduating from The Ohio State University.
Many consider the prestigious fellowship a life-changing experience, providing students with a different lens through which they view their community. This award falls into the same competitive categories as the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.
Many consider the prestigious fellowship a life-changing experience, providing students with a different lens through which they view their community.
“There are only three faculty members at Converse that I’m aware of who won these grants as students, and none won the most prestigious and selective of these scholarships to the UK,” said Dr. Woodfin.
Looking Towards The Future
For Cleland, the people of the University made Converse home, and she hopes to see more future Fulbright scholars from Converse. She says, “I want to share my experience with other students who might be interested in applying, because the process is quite long and complex. I started working on my application back in April of 2024, and received my final decision in May of 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful that I chose Converse for my education. The professors, athletics, and student life have pushed me to be the best student I could be,” she reflected. “The Fulbright Scholarship will be transformational for my career. After achieving my Master’s, I would like to earn my PhD in experimental psychology, and then hopefully end up working in academia, teaching, and conducting research. Ultimately, I’d like to establish my own lab that studies synesthesia and be able to work in cooperation with other researchers to continue expanding the field of knowledge about the phenomenon.”