-
Madeline has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Fulbright grant for US graduates to teach English abroad for the 2023-24 school year!
-
If selected, she will be working as an English teacher in Germany, having a passion for the German language since she started learning it in Highschool.
-
The US Fulbright Student Program provides grants for study/research projects and English teaching assistants all around the world. Madeline is one of a handful SSU alumni that has been selected as a semi-finalist in the last 10 years!
-
For graduating students who are interested in research or teaching english internationally during the 2024-25 school year, the Fulbright application opens April 2023, https://us.fulbrightonline.org ,SSU students must apply through Sonoma State University’s Global Engagement Office: https://international.sonoma.edu/study-away/wiva
1. What motivates you to pursue going abroad?
Madeline: I have had a passion to study and work abroad since I was in high school, where I began learning the German language, as well as a discovery of the different educational and professional paths which I could pursue in Germany. I have a strong desire to gain new points of view, learn new skills, and broaden my knowledge of people from backgrounds and cultures which are different from my own.
2. What are a few goals you have for yourself during your time abroad?
Madeline: The main goal I have for myself, as I go abroad, is to allow myself to be fully immersed in, and receptive to, the local culture. I want to step out of my comfort zone and into my growth zone through navigating new customs, transportation, and language and cultural differences. My second goal is to gain a sense of personal growth from this experience. I have been given a unique opportunity to "reinvent" myself through this experience, and I want the changes to be positive. I want to become a more culturally responsive individual, a stronger educator, and a more confident person. My third goal is to form connections with people in Germany, to make friends, and learn from a variety of people.
3. In what ways do you think teaching abroad will influence your life/career in 5 years?
Madeline: I think that studying and working abroad will allow me to be an overall more well-rounded person, as I will have proved to myself that I can immerse myself in a new culture and country and be successful. I think that I will gain a lot of confidence in myself, particularly in my ability to navigate social dynamics with people, especially people who are different from myself.
Because I am going to pursue a position as an English teacher in Germany, I believe that I will gain a more refined teaching style, one which might be influenced by cultural differences. I will also have a strengthened ability to teach students who are learning English as a second language, which will benefit both myself and my students when I return to the United States.
4. What do you want to take away most from this experience?
Madeline: I want to take away an appreciation for different cultures from this experience. Because Germany is such a diverse country, I will be interacting with people from all different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs, and I want to be able to return to the United States with a stronger sense of knowledge about cultural differences.
5. Lastly, how will this grant impact you?
Madeline: This grant will impact my sense of self a lot, I am not typically a person to stray very far out of my comfort zone, or even very far away from home, but this experience will teach me that I am very capable of taking care of myself in a foreign country. It will also likely impact the beliefs I have about life in the United States, things that I believe in and value now might change as I gain new experiences and understandings.