Redemption story: WSSU’s Merrills to return to France as Fulbright U.S. Scholar for Paris, Senegal
Her first trip was as an au pair
Winston-Salem State University’s Dr. J. Maria Merrills, director of International Programs and Study Abroad, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in administration to Paris and Senegal for the 2025 academic year, returning to a land she once called home.
This honor, conferred by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, recognizes Merrills’ dedication to international education and global connections as a professional. But on a personal note, her travel back is poetic irony.
Merrills said she always dreamed of going to France since she was 12 years gold. “I studied French from junior high through college. However, as the youngest of four children, my father could not afford to send me abroad and told me to read about France in a book,” she quipped.
After she finished her master’s degree, she seized the opportunity to become an au pair at the age of 23, which allowed her to work and have a place to stay while she lived in France. An au pair is defined as a young foreign person who helps with housework or childcare in exchange for room and board.
“I am thrilled to have gone from being an au pair in France in my youth to a Fulbright,” Merrills said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I foresee while I was scrubbing floors and changing diapers in France as an Au Pair that I would one day return as a Fulbright.”
During her Fulbright program, Merrills will help build partnerships with leading universities in Paris and Senegal from March 28 to April 12. These partnerships will create more opportunities for WSSU faculty and students in research, cultural experience and international careers.
She will also work to bring French and Senegalese students to WSSU, helping to enrich the university’s academic environment and promote cross-cultural understanding.
Merrills said this Fulbright opportunity will help her to gain invaluable insights and innovative approaches to advance WSSU’s strategic goals. Specifically, she hopes to learn best practices in international program development to increase student study abroad by 10 percent and faculty research abroad by 15 percent by the year 2030.
“This opportunity will allow me to build formal relationships with French universities, explore partnerships with Senegalese institutions – especially their online university, and contribute my expertise in online multicultural education and international program management,” Merrills said.
She plans to use what she learns to develop faculty workshops on adding global perspectives into courses, improving cultural interactions and enhancing the student experience.
This program will also enhance her professional skills in program design, intercultural communication, and global citizenship, preparing her for future leadership roles and contributing to WSSU’s evolving internationalization goals, she said.
Merrills has served as a faculty member at WSSU since 1998. She started her role as director of International Programs and Study Abroad in January of 2023. Since then, she has increased study abroad programs from two to nine in less than two years; created six short-term study abroad programs focused on WSSU meta majors in Paris and Costa Rica; created a Spanish/English language exchange program between WSSU and a Colombian university; created multi-major internship partnerships in Rwanda; and located 100 percent funding for 15 students to study abroad in 2024 and 100 percent funding for 10 students in 2023.
Merrills also created canvas shells for faculty and students to facilitate international opportunities.
In 2024, she was selected as the Colombia Challenge Your Knowledge HBCU representative for the U.S.-Colombia Summit in a partnership between the U.S. Embassy and the Colombian Ministry of National Education.
About the Fulbright: The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is one of the most prestigious and competitive international exchange programs, bringing together faculty, researchers, administrators, and professionals to advance knowledge and build global partnerships. Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research, expand professional networks, and foster long-term collaborations between institutions. Upon their return, they enrich their home institutions by sharing insights and promoting international exchange opportunities for colleagues and students. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has empowered over 400,000 individuals to study, teach, and conduct research in over 160 countries, building bridges of mutual understanding and addressing global challenges. Fulbrighters include Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, and influential leaders across various sectors. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.
