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MADRID, Spain – Former University of Dayton men's soccer player Jonathan Nelson has received the 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant in order to continue his studies overseas.

This award will allow Nelson to study at the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain next year.

Nelson was a graduate from the University of Dayton in 2014 and went oversees to both study and work. In his time at Dayton, the central defender was named team captain, Academic All-Region, Academic All-Conference, and Scholar All-American by the NSCAA. As a senior, Nelson earned defensive MVP honors by the team and helped Dayton to a 14-2-3 record while playing the most minutes of any Flyer. He was the perfect example of what being a Dayton Flyer student-athlete is all about and was a Senior CLASS Award nominee.

We talked with Jonathan about his experience.

What was your reaction when you received the news?
I knew I was within the timeline to be hearing from Fulbright any day, so I was checking my email constantly on my phone. I felt crazy, but I don't think an hour passed that I didn't check my inbox. I was packing to head to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day, and I swiped my inbox and saw the Fulbright Commission's name in the heading. My heart began racing out of my chest. I opened the email, skimmed it, and freaked out. I couldn't believe I would be living in Spain for a year. I mean I am already on the journey of my life in Ireland; I was speechless, overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do, so I stopped packing and went for a jog just to process everything. Then I called all my family and friends and let them know, after I had settled down a bit and confirmed it was real. So many feelings of elation, happiness, and most of all gratefulness to all of those who have pushed me along this unbelievable journey so far.

What was the process like vying for this honor?
It was an interesting process, because I had to apply successfully to both Instituto de Empresa in Madrid and also Fulbright in October 2014. Thanks to the support of UD faculty Dr. Krugh, Dr. John, Dr. Carlson, and Dr. Castro, my application successfully proceeded past the first round of screening, of which I was notified in late January. This application was finally confirmed in the second week in March. The application for Fulbright was comprehensive, and I put a lot of time into ensuring that my personal statement and statement of purpose truly spoke to what I would like to accomplish. I am really glad that those reading my application could hear what I was trying to express. To be honest, the waiting process was torturous. Between October and January and then between January and March I couldn't really focus on anything else but waiting for that email from Fulbright.
 
How will this help you in your career aspirations?
I will be studying for a Master's in Visual and Digital Media at the Instituto de Empresa. After gaining some valuable business experience this year in Ireland while studying International Management and Global Business, I hope that this next experience will provide me with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop my own business models based on the values of equality of access to information and the right to factual and objective information, among other important values.
 
What message would you give to your former teammates as they look to find careers after sports when they graduate?
The best advice I could give would be to take risks, and get outside of your comfort zone. If you truly want the opportunity to see what the world has to offer you, make some uncomfortable decisions and get your feet wet. The best way to really grow is to step outside of that comfort zone. It's okay to fail. There's not much to learning without failure. You'll find a whole new side to yourself. Trust your intuition and go with it. Jump in the pool.
 
Nelson is one of over 1,900 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2015-2016 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential.

The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), the scholar division of the Institute of International Education (IIE), is well known for its expertise and extensive experience in conducting international exchange programs for scholars and university administrators. For the past sixty years, CIES (www.cies.org) has administered the Fulbright Scholar Program, the United States flagship academic exchange effort, on behalf of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs  (ECA).