For three women with Union ties, the future is Fulbright.
Michelle E. Koo '08 earned a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Madrid, where she will assist in a secondary school classroom and build a model U.N. project. Victoria Leonard '07 was awarded a Fullbright teaching assistantship at a secondary school near Paris. Lauren Youngman '08 earned English teaching assistantship in France that is sponsored by the French government and administered by the Fulbright Program.
"The increasing number of Union students winning these awards shows that institutions like the Fulbright Program and foreign governments recognize the quality of a Union education," said Maggie Tongue, director of postgraduate fellowships. "When they recruit our students, they get young adults with a solid education as well as a global perspective."
The Fulbright teaching assistantship program administers 38 Fulbright grants in Spain, five Fulbright grants in France and 50 assistantship grants given by the French Ministry of Education. The Fulbright Program is run by the U.S. Department of State and was established in 1946 with help from U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright. In 2007, the program gave roughly 6,000 grants totaling $262 million.
Koo, a Psychology major and salutatorian for the Class of 2008, will from September through June work 20 hours a week at a school in Madrid. Koo also plans to seek out community service projects during her free time.
After returning from Spain, Koo will become an elementary school teacher for a Northern California chapter of Teach for America, which sends recent graduates to teach in low-income school districts for up to two years.
"I have found that volunteering is the most fulfilling way I can spend my time and I want to expose my students to the positive aspects of volunteering and instill in them the importance of giving back and helping others," Koo said.
Bound for France
Youngman, who completed a term abroad in Ireland and Union term in Washington, D.C., will spend six months as a teaching assistant at a secondary school academy in Leon, France. Youngman, a History major with minors in Political Science and French, is hoping to seek a career in international relations.
Leonard, who earned a master's degree in education from Union Graduate College this year, will work at a secondary school in Sartrouville, near Paris. In addition to the assistantship, Leonard plans to start a ballroom dance club for French students.