Nathalie Halcrow’s parents knew their daughter would excel in school when she finished an entire week’s worth of homework on the first day of the first grade. “We thought she would get a packet every day to play with,” said mother Héléne Halcrow. “Obviously, we were mistaken.” Nathalie Halcrow has yet to slow down. She graduated last spring from the University of Iowa with two degrees, B.A.s in English and French, both with Honors. It took her only three years. Her academic pursuits coupled with her time spent working as a tutor at the UI and volunteering with the Kirkwood Learning Center made her a standout applicant for the Fulbright Scholarship.

Amanda Kloser was born and raised in Dubuque, and she had no plans of leaving. It was not until a year and a half ago that the idea of moving away from her friends and family to a foreign country crossed her mind.

Enrollment numbers are rising across Iowa’s public universities, and this spring that has meant bigger graduating classes, larger venues, and more top honors. Mirroring that growth, UI on Wednesday announced a record 14 students and alumni have landed Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants to conduct research, attend graduate school, pursue creative work, or serve as English teaching assistants overseas in the 2016-2017 season.

Sarah Lucas, a Ph.D. candidate in musicology at the UI, is the winner of a Fulbright Study/Research grant to Hungary for 2016-17.

Megan Wood, a M.A. candidate in Spanish and linguistics at the UI, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to Colombia for 2016-17.

Laura Wang, who will receive a B.A. in English and Chinese from the UI this May, is the winner of a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan for 2016-17.

Kristofer May, a recent graduate of the UI with a B.A. in Russian and a B.S. in Biology, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to Russia for 2016-17.

Destinee Gwee, a recent graduate of the UI with a B.A. in biochemistry and Chinese, is the winner of a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan for 2016-17.

Nathalie Halcrow, who will receive a B.A. in English and French from the UI this May, is the winner of a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Côte d’Ivoire for 2016-17.

Delaney Nolan, a M.F.A. candidate in fiction writing at the UI, is the winner of a Fulbright Bulgaria-Greece Arts grant for 2016-17.

Amanda Kloser, a UI graduate with a M.A.T. in Secondary Education: English, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to Turkey for 2016-17.

Lauren Darby, a UI graduate with an M.A. in social studies education, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to Germany for 2016-17.