When Jason Ramkissoon was thinking about where to go to college, he knew he wanted to be in a place where he could meet a variety of people and learn about different cultures.
Although he grew up in New York City, Ramkissoon wanted to spread his wings even more, and he found that opportunity during his four years at the University of Miami. Ramkissoon spent two semesters studying abroad in Argentina, Chile and Brazil; one winter break on the Canes Perspectives trip in Israel and the West Bank, Palestine; another break at the Puentes Consortium in Monterey, Mexico; and after college, he spent time teaching English in Saudi Arabia.
“I believe the best way to learn about a new place is by connecting to its people,” said Ramkissoon, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in international studies and minors in Latin American and Caribbean studies, as well as public relations.
Soon, Ramkissoon will once again pack his bags to gain more of a global perspective. Starting in January, he will move to Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, where he will teach English on a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant.
“I'm very grateful that the Fulbright program will be part of my trajectory as a learner, and I'm looking forward to being part of the global Fulbright network and the connections my role will have to the local community,” he added.
Ramkissoon is the ninth University of Miami student or alumnus to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student award this year, marking the largest cohort of Fulbright awardees the University has received in a single application cycle. This year, six alumni earned Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards to teach in foreign countries, and three are set to embark on a research journey.
Staff from the Prestigious Awards and Fellowships unit in the Office of Academic Enhancement noted that Ramkissoon was steadfast in his desire to earn a Fulbright ETA award.
“Jason is very determined,” said Erika Green Liberus, the unit’s director. “He had applied previously for this award, so the fact that he has been working with us for so long and is so dedicated to Fulbright was a testament to how hard work and consistency can reward you.”
All students are eligible to apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program starting in the spring of their junior year of undergraduate education. Alumni and graduate students can also apply. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the highly selective award is ideal for students interested in cultural exchange, and a growing number of University of Miami students and alumni have received the award in recent years. Liberus and her associate director Molly Lockwood Ho said this year’s success is evidence that the Fulbright program they are building at the U is working.
“I am proud of the work we have done to reach out to students, to reach out to alumni and to let them know about this program and the possibilities with it,” Liberus added. “The reason it appeals to so many people is that you don’t have to have a particular academic background or trajectory for this to apply to you.”
In the past few years, Lockwood Ho and Liberus have brought back Fulbright alumni to speak to current students about their experiences and hold summer sessions to help students build their applications. The increased awareness has interested more students, and as a result, they had a record number of Fulbright applicants this year.
“We have such amazing students doing such cool things and through this process, they learn how to showcase that in an application,” Lockwood Ho said. “More and more students are now coming to us as sophomores and juniors, so we are getting more experience in advising students and feel more confident now that we are guiding them in the right way to get these awards.”
For Ramkissoon, this is the first time he has spent time near Africa. Mauritius is located east of Madagascar, and Ramkissoon is excited that its culture may be similar to that of his parents’ native Trinidad and Tobago. He also chose Mauritius because it is a unique country that is not available through many other exchange programs, which attracted Ramkissoon to the Fulbright.
“There’s only about 1 million people in Mauritius, so it’ll be a very different experience than others I’ve had abroad,” he said. “I would like to work in international relations, and I hope this will give me experience working in smaller, more niche countries, so spending this time in a smaller society will be very valuable.”
