La Salle Graduate Jillian Pintye Receives
Fulbright Scholarship to Study in Denmark

Jillian Pintye, who received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from La Salle University in May, has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar. In August, she will travel to Denmark to enroll in a master’s degree program in public health at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. 

Over her four years as a La Salle Honors student, Pintye saw many parts of the world.

During spring break in her junior year, she traveled to Vietnam as part of a philosophy course with Joseph Volpe, Ph.D. This spring, she traveled with a group of La Salle students led by nursing professor Ana Maria Catanzaro, Ph.D., to a Mayan village in Guatemala. Pintye’s experience performing health screenings on the underprivileged children deepened her interest in public health nursing. “The more perspectives you can get, the better” she said. 

Pintye, who is from Alexander City, Ala., is one of two recent La Salle graduates selected as a Fulbright Scholar. “La Salle prepared me to be a responsible citizen,” said Pintye.  “The University’s Lasallian values really teach you to give back.” Giving back is one thing she plans to continue doing. Once she’s completed her studies in Denmark, she hopes to join the Peace Corps. Eventually, she would like to work for a world health organization. 

Last summer, Pintye spent two months studying in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of a “Nursing in Scandinavia” study-abroad course. She enjoyed her time so much that she met with Fulbright officials in Denmark about the possibility of receiving a scholarship after she graduated. When she returned, she began the arduous process of applying for a Fulbright Scholarship. 

Pintye found out she was chosen as a Fulbright Scholar the day after she completed her last exam at La Salle. “I was so excited,” she said of receiving the good news. “It was such a relief. I had been in limbo the past few months not knowing for sure what I would be doing in the fall.”  

“Denmark has a socialized health care system, and I’m very interested in learning more about how it works,” said Pintye. “The town I’ll be living in is much smaller than Copenhagen so it will give me a different perspective than what I experienced last summer.”

About 1,100 Fulbright Scholarships are awarded every year to American students and young professionals for study, internships or service abroad. Since 1965, 60 La Salle students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships through the national merit-based competition, which aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.