SPRING HILL — Nicholas Herrud, a 2017 Columbia State alumnus and Tennessee Promise graduate, has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, earning him the opportunity to study twentieth-century Eastern European history and border interaction at Vilnius University in Lithuania's capital. For Herrud, a first-generation college student, Columbia State was the crucial first step on a path that has led him from Maury County to doctorate studies at Notre Dame University.
Herrud credits his time at Columbia State with helping him navigate the transition from high school to higher education and building a foundation for his scholarly future. He credits English professor James Senefeld and historian Barry Gidcomb with showing him that college demands a different approach to learning and for guiding him toward history as his field of study. After earning his bachelor's degree from Austin Peay State University in 2020, Herrud pursued a master's degree in Polish Studies at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, where he became fluent in Polish while studying Eastern European borderlands and culture.
Now in year three of his doctoral program at Notre Dame, Herrud reflects on the importance of being open to opportunity. "I think success is not a path you walk alone," he said. "Success kind of finds you, but you have to be ready to respond to it." Dr. Barry Gidcomb, Columbia State's dean of humanities and social sciences, said the college remains proud of Herrud's accomplishments: "I'm excited about his well-deserved success and the trajectory of his career. Nick is making a difference in this world."