Churik ’15 Awarded Fulbright Study Research Grant to the Netherlands

Nikolas Churik ’15, of Hempstead, N.Y. has been awarded a Fulbright Study Research Grant to the Netherlands. Churik, a classics major, will be studying Greek literature and paleography, with a focus on the eleventh century Byzantine author Michael Psellos.

“Being able to go to the Netherlands is a great opportunity for me as the Dutch have an excellent tradition in the classics. Students in the country still study Greek and Latin in secondary school so when they enter into the university they have a very high competency in the languages,” says Churik. His grant will allow him another year of specialized study in classics and he will be able to focus on Greek literature. “I will also be studying antiquities and I hope that will provide me with a wider view of the human experience and will allow me to see common trends and ideas throughout the western civilization.”

While at Holy Cross, Churik was the editor of the Fenwick Review, an independent journal of opinion at the College; a member of the Manuscripts, Inscriptions, and Documents club; and a member of the Society of Saints Peter and Paul.

While Churik was growing up in N.Y. he often would see signs that certain properties were settled by Dutch merchants, this led him to want to learn more about the history and culture of the settlers. In his proposal for his Fulbright grant he stated his fond appreciation for the Dutch Masters and also discussed his research on the Dutch influence in certain parts of N.Y. Churik plans to attend graduate school and pursue a doctorate in classics and hopes to teach Latin and Greek.

Each year approximately 1,900 U.S. college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange, awards grants to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 325,400 participants — selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions. The program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.