RIT’s main campus has welcomed six international Fulbright Program students for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Fulbright Program is a highly competitive international academic exchange program that aims to increase mutual understanding and to support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and other countries. More than 160 nations worldwide are involved in the program. The students noted the many areas of professional and personal development that the program provides, including networking, language skills, leadership, and adaptability. Esi Dervishi already has a master’s degree in business administration and experience working in human resources in her home country of Albania, but wants to expand her business acumen into more areas.She is majoring in hospitality business management at RIT. Dervishi appreciates the opportunity to learn from RIT professors who have expertise in the industry and the hands-on approach that RIT provides. “I’m not a big fan of just theory, so I appreciate the more practical approach to things,” said Dervishi. “The professors share their real-life experiences with us, making the lectures more insightful and engaging.” Outside of academics, the scholars have enjoyed joining groups and activities to become fully immersed in the campus community, and having the chance to explore the area. Fernando Diaz, a business administration master’s student from Panama, appreciates engaging with fellow students outside of the classroom. “Other than studying, there are a lot of activities,” said Diaz. “That’s what I love, the amount of clubs offered here. It doesn’t matter how niche your hobbies are, you can find a club or a group of people that have the same interests as you.” The Fulbright Program requires a rigorous application process. Diaz remarked that Panama had only two placements available for around 125 applicants. As one of the most prestigious scholarship programs in the world, numerous former scholars have gone on to become MacArthur fellows, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Nobel Prize winners. Diaz became familiar with the program through his professors at his university in Panama and learned more about it during an exchange program in New York four years ago. His goal then was to earn a Fulbright scholarship once he finished his undergraduate degree. Achieving that goal has been everything he hoped it would be. “Academically, socially, culturally, it has been amazing so far,” he said. “It’s very competitive, but that just reflects the quality of people you find in the program.” Diana Semionel joins RIT from Moldova and is pursuing a master’s in business administration. Her path to becoming a Fulbright scholar was a little different. As a non-traditional student, she already had professional experience but knew getting a scholarship for an advanced degree in the U.S. would be an amazing benefit. While initially it wasn’t the easiest to adapt, she said the people around her and the resources available at the university helped her persevere. Semionel is very grateful for the opportunity and hopes her experience can inspire others. “I feel like I’m finally one step closer to my dream,” she said. “I want to emphasize that anything is possible. It doesn't matter what age you are, where you are from, what your family situation is, who you are. Pursue your things and get the best from life.”  

As soon as the doors opened at the University-wide Career Fair, student Cassidy Ryan hustled her way to the booth occupied by National Grid. Not only was she excited to connect with alumna and fellow sorority sister Erika Sullivan, who returned to campus to recruit student talent, Ryan was also hoping to score an interview for a co-op with the company. “I’m nervous, but I’m looking forward to showing people who I am and what I’m capable of,” said Ryan, a second-year industrial and systems engineering major from Carmel, N.Y. ‌ Traci Westcott/RIT Dylan Lewis, a fourth-year mechanical engineering technology major from New Milford, Conn., left, speaks with Aaron Turner, head of systems engineering at ARKA, regarding available spring co-ops at the company. Ryan joined thousands of other RIT students searching for co-ops and full-time employment at more than 230 local, regional, and national companies represented at the career fair on Oct. 8. Sullivan ’24 (electrical engineering technology), an associate engineer in distribution, planning, and asset management for National Grid, was one of 250 alumni recruiters. Sullivan is part of the planning team responsible for the current and future power grid—a role she takes seriously because she’s “doing something good for the world.” “What I do really matters, and that’s so important to me,” she said. “The top-notch education that I received at RIT, along with the leadership skills that I gained through my involvement in Greek life, have helped give me the job and life that I have.” Maria Richart, director of RIT’s Career Services and Cooperative Education, is pleased to see the return of companies that have been noticeably absent in recent years due to economic concerns, as well as others that are looking for the kind of specific talent that RIT can provide. “I’m seeing that today’s tech companies are recruiting students with expertise in supply chain management and distribution, along with the more traditional technology positions,” said Richart. “RIT is training our students to be marketable and to be able to pivot where they’re most needed. Companies know they can find what they need here.” ‌ Traci Westcott/RIT Alexandria Young, a second-year software engineering student, right, interviews with Abby Plotzke, a manager at IBM. Alexandria Young, a second-year software engineering student from Westchester County, N.Y., is looking for a co-op in software development where she can use her skills in full-stack development. Her coursework in computing languages like Python, C++, and Java have prepared her for the job search, she said. Outside of the classroom, Young builds software focusing on memory management. “I would love to work for IBM but, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll continue looking for other experiential learning opportunities that will help build my portfolio.” New this year, Career Services and Cooperative Education recognized five companies for their outstanding work with RIT students. General Dynamics Mission Systems, D3 Embedded, Disney, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell were cited for arranging mock interviews with students, meeting with clubs and organizations, and hiring students from a variety of majors. Alumnus Paul Wisotzke ’88 (business management), a senior engineering program manager with Honeywell, comes to campus weekly to coordinate career preparation seminars and sponsor hackathons and academic projects. ‌ Traci Westcott/RIT More than 230 companies, including Honda, Penske, Texas Instruments, Bausch and Lomb, GE Aerospace, and Wegmans, sent representatives to recruit top talent at RIT’s University-wide Career Fair on Oct. 8. “The students recognize that we are here to support them and to help them succeed,” he said. “We’re demonstrating the behaviors that are important in the workplace and are finding that students are clamoring to join our company because of that. We keep hiring RIT students because they are often the top talent.” RIT, which is No. 88 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report best colleges ranking, is also ranked No. 5 in the nation for co-ops and internships, exposing college students to new academic experiences outside the classroom.