Stories

Chris Wanis '21 will be serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Mexico. Since 2020, he has been a fellow at the Policy Academies in Washington D.C., a nonprofit that aims to “train and cultivate a new and diverse generation of racial equity- and economic-justice-focused researchers and policy leaders from historically exploited communities.”

Wanis, who earned a double major in ethnic studies and political science, grew up in Baltimore as the child of two immigrants—his mother is from Mexico and his father is from Egypt. He chose SCU because the financial support enabled him to “achieve my dreams of getting a degree from a four-year institution and be able to help my family back at home.”

While at SCU, Wanis received several honors including a SCU Provost Research Fellowship, a REAL Program grant, a Jean Donovan Research Fellowship, and a 2020 Truman Scholarship nomination. Wanis also studied abroad in Argentina and Guyana, worked with the Resilient Families Program at Sacred Heart Community Service in San Jose supporting immigrant communities, and was on the board of the Latinx Student Union.

He focused on Mexico for his Fulbright work because his mother and her family are Mexican and because he wanted to play a role in the critical sector of education. While in Mexico, he also hopes to make cross-cultural connections through sharing music, another passion of his.

Wanis said adding his second major, ethnic studies, proved “life changing” during his time at SCU. Through such study, “I was able to gain a deep understanding of the systems of oppression that impact my communities and communities of color across the US,” he said. “Ehnic studies also taught me how structures of racism, imperialism, and colonization are global and to combat oppression globally necessitates international solidarity with all oppressed peoples.”

After his fellowship, Wanis plans to pursue a masters in ethnic studies and conduct research to better understand the needs of migrant communities pre- and post-migration.

About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide. For further information please visit https://us.fulbrightonline.org/.