COE Senior Alexis Anderson Wins Fulbright Award

Photo of COE student Alexis Anderson

COE student Alexis Anderson received a prestigious 2020-2021 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship from the U.S. State Department. Anderson is a senior and secondary education and history major in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership. Anderson will be working with a local secondary school in Galicia, Spain as a classroom teaching assistant supporting students as they learn English.

“I’m super excited about receiving this award.” Anderson stated. “Although the award has been postponed to January, I feel extremely blessed. More specifically, I look forward to being a teacher in a foreign country and learning about the people and culture there.”      

Born in North Carolina and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Anderson decided to apply to the Fulbright Scholars Program to gain global teaching experiences.

“I felt that going abroad and teaching abroad would help grow my experience as someone who understands different cultures and help prepare me to be an educator of diverse learners,” Anderson said. “I also want to become fluent in the Spanish language, as well as better understand the Spanish culture in general.”

After completing the Fulbright program, Anderson intends to continue teaching abroad for another year in a different location and prepare to go to graduate school to pursue a masters in education.

“Alexis is going to impact this world, one student at a time. Her awareness of others, a passion for creating opportunity and a will to make a difference, is going to serve her well over the course of her lifetime, both personally and professionally,” said Alison Jovanovic, COE faculty and social studies PDS coordinator.

Anderson always dreamed of pursuing a career in which she could work with children and adults of all backgrounds. She knew she wanted to become a teacher that specialized in teaching diverse learners.

“I decided to pursue a degree in education because I love teaching others about my passion, which is history and world cultures. It’s a gift to be able to bring new knowledge to people about the world,” Anderson said.

When asked why prospective students should consider the field of education, Anderson had this to say, “The opportunity to teach others something that you are passionate about is a great feeling. But even more exciting is the ability to grow as a person while also helping students grow and excel. Being a teacher is challenging, but it is the most rewarding career you can have.”