Over 2,000 students each year apply to the Fulbright Scholars Program, a renowned scholarship that awards grants for research projects or teaching in countries across the world.
After a six-month-long waiting period, Kevin Manogue ‘22, Anna Zittle ‘22 and Celeste Fieberg ’22 were announced as recipients of the Fulbright awards this month.
Manogue was accepted into the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Program and will be working at a university in Colombia next year as a language teaching assistant. He has been the president of Lafayette’s Spanish club since his sophomore year and has participated in an English tutoring program in the Easton community with Spanish-speaking children and parents. Additionally, he founded Building Bridges, a volunteer organization designed to help parents develop their English proficiency as a second language.
“I’ve always really liked that atmosphere of language learning, but I also really like teaching,” Manogue said. “So somewhere along the process, I was like…’I might be interested in Fulbright.’ That’s kind of how the whole thing got started.”
“I’ll be teaching a lot,” he added. “But in my free time, I’ll be able to explore, travel, and volunteer–hopefully–and generally just connect with whatever city I’m placed in, which I’m really, really excited about,” Manogue said.
For Zittle, a love of both teaching and music led her to settle on the Czech Republic as the destination for her ETA program. Zittle is pursuing a math and music dual degree and has worked as a Writing Associate (WA) at the college. Associate Dean of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs and Fellowship Advisor Julia Goldberg suggested that Zittle apply for the Fulbright.
“Dean Goldberg suggested that if I was interested, I should apply for an English teaching assistantship Fulbright because I have a lot of interest in teaching,” Zittle said. “Being a music major is obviously a big part of my life, and I’ve always been particularly drawn to a lot of Czech composers including [Antonín] Dvořák and [Bedřich] Smetana. And I found the [Czech] program and I was like, ‘Wow, I could go teach English, which I already do.’”
The Fulbright program seeks to facilitate cross-cultural growth from both an academic and professional standpoint through cultural exchange, immersive learning and direct community engagement.
“I really want to immerse myself in the Czech community,” Zittle said, excited to broaden her own perspectives. “Everyone that I’ve met so far, either people from the Czech Republic or people at Lafayette who have family there or are from the Czech Republic, are all such kind, generous and insightful people. I’m really excited to learn more about the community from the inside.”
Fieberg was accepted as an ETA in Kyrgyzstan but doesn’t anticipate accepting the reward; instead she is planning to find a job in the United States. Fieberg, who majors in mechanical engineering and German, was originally attracted to the program in Kyrgyzstan because of her interest in Central Asian culture and the program’s focus on women in STEM.
As president of the International Students Association, she emphasized the reward of learning about a new language and culture.
“I had previously lived abroad in France for two years and really enjoyed that immersive language experience and immersing myself in the culture and I craved that after college,” she said.
While noting that her priorities have since changed, she encouraged juniors to explore their options and to consider applying for the scholarship.
The Fulbright Application is a lengthy process with several components including a personal statement, a proposal for their program or research and supplementary essays, according to the Fulbright website.