Two Nazareth Students Selected as Fulbright Scholars
Katie Box '18 and Jessica Meyers '19 will each draw on their recent teaching experiences as they head abroad to teach English as 2019 Fulbright Scholars — continuing a long tradition of Nazareth students and alums being selected for this honor.
In the past 10 years, Nazareth has had 31 Fulbright scholars. This is the 17th consecutive year Nazareth has had one or more U.S. Student Fulbright Scholar award winners. See a list of Nazareth student Fulbrighters.
Back to Germany
Meyers — a double major in public health and sociology — studied in Germany through Nazareth's Berlin program and is completing minors in German and Spanish.
"I first saw the power and influence of teaching when I taught English to refugee women from Eastern Europe during an internship for a non-profit organization in Berlin," says Meyers. That experience taught her that interaction rather than lectures kept students engaged and allowed them to put their new knowledge into practice. "I adapted to the learning styles of the students by engaging them and making the lessons relevant to everyday life. I felt a personal investment in their success, and I felt personally fulfilled when students would finally find success understanding the language."
Meyers admires German people, values, and culture and says her cross-cultural experiences have shaped her personal beliefs and habits. "The family I lived with taught me to consume in a sparing way. They ate smaller portions of food, recycled every container possible, and conserved energy so well that they did not even own a laundry dryer. All of these lifestyle choices were foreign to me, but it prompted me to reflect on my own habits. As a result, I now buy fewer things and use less energy, and live sustainably."
Meyers has experience as a teaching assistant in the Rochester City School District, where she incorporated lessons of kindness and respect alongside reading and writing. That experience also informed her work as a caregiver of a Montessori student. She expects to use all of her experiences to help others learn English.
She also hopes to start an outdoor activities club, since she enjoys climbing, hiking, cycling, cross country skiing, and backpacking.
Heading to Spain
Like Meyers, Box was chosen for an English teaching assistantship (ETA). For her, it will be a flip of learners and languages. She currently teaches Spanish to ninth- and eleventh-grade students at Midlakes High School. In the rural region of La Rioja, Spain, Box will instead teach English to Spanish speakers.
“I always had a strong desire and curiosity to travel,” said Box, who graduated in December 2018 with a bachelor’s degree with honors in Spanish and inclusive adolescence education. “I believe this longing is a consequence of my small-town upbringing. As a family, we seldom traveled away from home. The Fulbright allows me to be an ambassador of American culture, and to learn more about Spain and Spanish culture.”
Box was able to travel to big cities like Boston and Washington, D.C. on school trips, but she found her true passion when her Spanish teacher showed her class photos from when she studied abroad in Madrid. “I fell in love with Spain. My teacher’s enthusiasm for Spanish language and culture was contagious. I have wanted to be a teacher since the third grade. During my junior year in high school, I decided that I wanted to be a Spanish teacher, which would enable my passion for working with children and keep me connected to Spanish language and culture.”
She’s already had her own experience living in Spain while a Nazareth student, when she studied in Valencia for eight months and interned in an elementary school teaching English. “I had never flown by myself before, let alone flown across the Atlantic or traveled to another country. I improved my Spanish, became independent, flexible, and confident, and made lifelong friendships and relationships with teachers and my host family.”
As a lifelong singer, music is also a universal language for Box. In Spain, she would like to work with students who have an interest in music and start a choral group. “I think singing a variety of songs could enhance the students’ English language learning.”
Box also knows her Fulbright role in Spain will help her with her future and her plans to pursue a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
Fulbright applicants are supported by Nazareth's Fulbright Program Advisor Mark Madigan, Ph.D., and Fulbright Campus Committee members Scott Campbell, Ph.D.; Nevan Fisher, Ph.D.; Timothy Glander, Ph.D.; and Heather Lewis, Ph.D.
For More Information
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | 585-389-2456 or jlong2@naz.edu
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Katie Box (left) and Jessica Meyers are Nazareth's two Fulbright scholars for 2019-20.