Pair of Villanova Athletics Graduates Awarded Fulbright Scholarships

VILLANOVA, Pa. — A pair of individuals associated with Villanova Athletics earned Fulbright Student Grants for the 2025-26 academic year. Mawutor Fiavey (mascot) and Emma Grabenstetter (water polo) will each serve English Teaching Assistantships in Europe, being two of the 17 Villanovans to win the grants this year.

Fiavey and Grabenstetter are the 10th and 11th Villanova Athletics representatives to receive Fulbright grants since 2004, joining 2024 volleyball graduate Madeline Barber as recipients in the last two years.

Grabenstetter, a four-year member of the VU water polo program, will spend the year as an English teaching assistant in Malta. A native of Santa Barbara, California, Grabenstetter graduated in May after earning a degree in political science with minors in peace and justice and sustainability studies.

The attacker played in 24 games as a freshman and racked up two goals and 10 assists in 2024 before dishing out six assists on the nationally-ranked Wildcats as a senior.

Outside of the pool, she served as a swim instructor for underprivileged youth and at a youth wheelchair sports camp in addition to stints studying abroad in Prague, Greece and Rome. Upon her return to the United States, she plans to attend law school and pursue international law.

Joining Grabenstetter as a 2025-26 Fulbright scholar is Fiavey, a member of the cheer program who will teach English in Spain this year. A product of Nutley, New Jersey, Fiavey finished his undergraduate career with a Bachelor’s in comprehensive science, a minor in sociology and a business certificate.

Fiavey served as the university mascot Will D. Cat while at Villanova, responsible for appearances at athletic events since his sophomore year. In addition to his work with the cheer program, Fiavey co-chaired the Villanova service learning community and volunteered as an after-school tutor for local Latino students and a mentor for Philadelphia-area high schoolers.

Following his Fulbright year, he plans to attend dental school and “expand access to care in both English and Spanish-speaking communities.”

Fiavey, Grabenstetter and 15 other Villanovans will begin their programs in the coming weeks, making it nearly 200 Wildcats to earn the award since 2016.