Hana Yi, a senior in the middle school math and science program at the University of Maryland College of Education, received a 2018-19 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for South Korea. While in South Korea, Yi, who is minoring in TESOL, will work as an English Teaching Assistant and collaborate with other teachers specializing in math and science to share best practices.
“The Fulbright program will allow me to gain insight on science and mathematics pedagogies, which I can implement in my future teachings,” Yi said. “I am hoping that teaching English will help me recognize how to incorporate more literacy into my content teaching of science and mathematics.”
Yi, whose parents were born and raised in South Korea, decided to apply to the Fulbright Scholars Program to immerse herself in an international education setting.
“Teaching in South Korea opens up a time for me to be reflective on my own culture, ideologies, and values,” Yi said. “I want to gain more insight and understanding of my own cultural roots, in order to be more open to the different cultures of my future students.”
After completion of the Fulbright program, Yi intends to teach public school math and science in Maryland, as well as to pursue a master’s degree in education at the University of Maryland to further develop her lesson planning and instruction delivery.
“Hana is a great representative of her outstanding cohort of preservice middle school math and science teachers at the College of Education,” said Daniel M. Levin, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership and Yi’s advisor. “The Fulbright is a prestigious honor and reflects Hana’s strength as a student teacher and her commitment to excellence as a scholar and an educator.”
Yi’s commitment to teaching and making a significant difference in students’ lives is reflected in her degree program choice.
“I decided to pursue Middle School Math and Science because middle school is a sensitive time where adolescents have a make it or break it relationship with education. I want to be an educator that empowers students through education,” Yi said.
