Minnesota Ag Connection - Morris Students Named Fulbright Finalists

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Morris Students Named Fulbright Finalists
Minnesota Ag Connection - 05/17/2018

Brittany Grady '17 and Autumn Carlson '18 have earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards. Their successes speak to the power and value of a Morris education on the global stage, university officials said in making the announcement.

The Morris Fulbright recipients received English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards, which will place them in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. As Fulbright Scholars, they also will represent the United States as cultural ambassadors during their time overseas.

Grady, an English/German/Medieval Studies triple major, will spend a year in Germany as an English Teaching Assistant. She will have the opportunity to teach children in German schools not only about English as a language, but also about the nuances of and diversity within American culture.

Grady "love[s] anything that pushes the boundaries of [her] comfort zone and helps [her] grow," particularly new experiences. The Fulbright, then, is a natural fit for her: she'll have the chance to live in a new part of the country (she attended an American high school in Germany) and to learn more about the regional variations within German culture and school systems.

For her success in the application process, Grady credits her Morris instructors, particularly Professor of History and Coordinator for National and International Fellowships Jennifer Deane, as well as her major coursework and her experience as a writing center consultant.

Although she's not sure what life holds following her Fulbright year, she trusts the experience, combined with her Morris degree, will prepare her for whatever lies ahead.

"I'm still in the process of uncovering what my future looks like, but I think this experience will help me do that by giving me time and space to try my hand at teaching in an unfamiliar context," she says. "I'm fairly certain I'd like to attend grad school in the not-so-distant future, and I'm excited and grateful for the opportunities a Fulbright might afford me on that front."

Carlson, a Spanish and Latin American Area Studies major, will spend a year in Mexico as an English Teaching Assistant. She also plans to work on a bilingual conversation club, much like Morris's own Jane Addams Project.

Carlson's "interest in the Spanish language and culture run[s] deep," which is what drew her to the Fulbright program and back to Mexico. An English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor, she spent part of her junior year studying in Guanajuato in hopes of returning better equipped to serve her ESL students. This opportunity, she says, is an extension of that.

"The Fulbright ETA mixes all of my interests together nicely," says Carlson. "I would get the opportunity to continue to study a language I love and to teach in a different environment."

Carlson says the "solid education" she received at Morris prepared her to apply for Fulbright. While she isn't entirely sure what she'll do following her Fulbright year, she wants to continue working with greater Minnesota's Latino and immigrant communities. She's confident this experience will keep her moving in the right direction.

"Having the cultural, linguistic, and teaching experience that the Fulbright ETA offers would be invaluable in my future plans to continue working with the Latino population in Minnesota."

Five Morris students submitted Fulbright applications this year, supported by advising from faculty and staff through the Academic Center for Enrichment; four were semifinalists, two were finalists, and one (Alexa Barta '18) was an alternate. This success rate builds on last year's awards, which earned the campus Top Fulbright producer status earlier this spring.

"As one of the country's top public liberal arts colleges, Morris provides talented students access to life-changing educational opportunities," said Chancellor Michelle Behr. "Our exceptional students are prepared to live as engaged global citizens, and we are excited for their upcoming Fulbright experiences."

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest United States exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. Learn more at us.fulbrightonline.org.

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