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Two UNLV students have been awarded prestigious Fulbright Scholarships that will allow them to study, conduct research, and teach abroad.

Enzu Chang, an undergraduate majoring in music composition, is headed to Korea hoping to expand the language of western 21st century classical music through traditional Korean vocal and percussive techniques.

Erika Rabura, a graduate student, will teach English at a university in South America.

Chang, 34, plans to explore her own Asian heritage as a composer and a musician. Some of her inspiration comes from her father’s story, who was a North Korean refugee following the Korean Conflict.

“He grew up in an orphanage and eventually moved to Germany and became a pastor. I was born and raised in Germany where music was always an important part of my life,” Chang said.

“I want to expand the language of western classical music of the 21st century through the study of ancient Korean traditional music,” she said. Chang explained she wants to explore the classical music relationship between western melodrama and Pansori - a Korean style of musical storytelling, typically performed by a singer and a drummer.

Rabura, who is graduating this month with a Master's of Education in curriculum and instruction, will teach English at a university in Colombia.

She is a participant in the volunteer program Teach for America, where she teaches English Language Learners at a local elementary school.

Susan Thompson, UNLV director of international programs which helps mentor and guide students applying for Fulbright Scholarships, said Chang and Rabura represent some of the brightest students at the university.

“We are very proud of this tremendous accomplishment. They join a long and growing list of UNLV students who have earned this prestigious scholarship. We wish them all the best,” Thompson said.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright after World War II because too few Americans could speak the languages of their allies. However, scholarship recipients nowadays aim to grow international goodwill through studying and teaching abroad.

The program awards about 1,800 grants annually. Grants are awarded to U.S. students, foreign students, U.S. scholars, visiting scholars, teachers and professionals who study, research, or teach abroad for about a year. The Fulbright program operates in more than 140 countries covering more than 100 different fields of study.

Winning a Fulbright Scholarship is a highly competitive process, with dozens of students applying annually from UNLV and thousands applying from colleges and universities across the nation.