Fifth University of Scranton Graduate Wins Fulbright Scholarship for 2012-2013

Oct 16, 2012
A member of the University’s class of 2012, Nicole Linko was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Estonia, becoming the fifth University of Scranton graduate to receive the prestigious scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year.
A member of the University’s class of 2012, Nicole Linko was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Estonia, becoming the fifth University of Scranton graduate to receive the prestigious scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year.

A fifth University of Scranton graduate, originally named as an alternate, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year.

A member of the University’s class of 2012 who earned a bachelor’s degree in international business, Nicole Linko, Mount Cobb, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Estonia. Linko will study the transformation of the Estonian economy at the University of Tartu, Estonia’s national university, through coursework and research conducted under the mentorship of professors Urmas Varblane and Tonis Mets. In Estonia, she will research how entrepreneurship has helped in the successful transformation of the local economy since the relatively small country separated from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Linko joins four other University of Scranton graduates who earned Fulbright scholarships this academic year: Ellen (Maggie) Coyne ’12 of Stony Point, N.Y., who won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea; Kathleen Lavelle ’12 of Avoca, who won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Spain; Anna DiColli ’10 from Broomall, who was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Public Health to Spain; and C.J. Libassi ’10, a native of Dalton now residing in Washington, D.C., who won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Spain.

The scholars were selected from a pool of more than 9,000 applicants.

Since 1972, a total of 139 University of Scranton graduates have received grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education. For seven consecutive years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed The University of Scranton among the “top producers” of Fulbright awards for American students.

Nicole Linko
Fulbright Scholarship to Estonia

As a Fulbright scholar, Nicole Linko looks forward to immersing herself in the day-to-day life of Estonia, and to understanding how the society, culture and people are affected by the economic transition of the former Soviet Union nation. Eager to learn the native language – something she hopes to continue to use it in future endeavors – she will study the Estonian language and take courses specific to the Baltic region, in addition to her research project.

An avid musician, Linko also plans to immerse herself in the musical arts of Estonia by performing with the University of Tartu’s symphony orchestra. Linko has participated in orchestras for nearly a decade, including performing as a violinist and a drummer at concerts at Scranton throughout her college career, as well as a soloist at events both on and off campus.

Linko has traveled to the Czech Republic and Iceland and spent a semester abroad at the Danish Institute in Denmark. She credits a course she took while in the Czech Republic on how the nation was affected by the Soviet Union with sparking her interest in transition economies.

A dean’s list student at Scranton, Linko is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (the AACSB-international honor society) and Omega Beta Sigma (the women’s business honor society). She served as an intern at the Kania School of Management’s Women’s Entrepreneur Center.

While at the University, Linko also participated in extensive community service. She has volunteered on campus in events from move-in to commencement. She is a member of the Business Club, International Business Club, and Fair Trade Club. As part of that club, Linko traveled to Maryland to volunteer at the SERRV Fair Trade Factory, where she assisted in the production of fair trade goods.

Upon her return to the United States, Linko plans to obtain her MBA and gain more experience in international business and entrepreneurship. She will use her experiences in education and abroad to help fulfill her goal of starting a service-oriented business, possibly abroad.

Linko is the daughter of Nick and Allison Linko of Mount Cobb and the granddaughter of Diane Davis of Throop.

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