Oakland, CA–May 27, 2008. Erika Martinez and Patricia Tumang, Mills College alumnae, have received prestigious Fulbright scholarships in 2008.

Martinez received a Fulbright grant in language and literature to study in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to complete an anthology entitled Voz: Dominican Women Writing, a collection of English language prose and poetry written by Dominican-American women. 

Martinez will study at the Universidad Autònoma de Santo Domingo. She graduated from Mills in 2007 with an MFA in English and creative writing.    

"Writing has been a way for me to break the silence in my life. As a child, my motivation to write was purely instinctual and internal—a reaction to my upbringing as the daughter of Dominican immigrants," said Martinez. "My hope is that the anthology will give Dominican women a strong voice in the world of literature. The Fulbright fellowship will allow me to bridge two of my greatest passions, literature and cultural exchange."

Patricia Tumang earned her MFA in English and creative writing at Mills in 2006. She will study at the University of the Philippines at Diliman and use her Fulbright grant in creative writing in the Philippines to conduct research for a novel, A Visionary Life. The work is about Filipina heroines during the Philippine Revolution and how they shaped and defined history, politics, and literature. Tumang will interview the descendents of 20 young women of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines who successfully petitioned the Philippine government in 1888 for the right to an education.

"Words can't fully express my deepest gratitude. I feel proud to represent Mills College as I join the ranks of Fulbright fellows who are inspiring change in communities around the world," she said.

Tumang credits the award to English professor Elmaz Abinader, who encouraged her to "dream big," which led her to write about her parents' homeland.

The Fulbright Student Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program is administered by the Institute of International Education.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College ranks as one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review. For more information, visit http://www.mills.edu/.

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