AZUSA, Calif. — Each year, hundreds of students compete for the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, but only a select few receive the award. This year, recent Azusa Pacific University graduate and Redmond, Wash. resident Brian Kraft was one of four APU students to receive a Fulbright Award.
"I am most excited to become more familiar with a Muslim culture, to learn a language as I teach another, to travel about in Southeast Asia," said Kraft.
Kraft graduated from APU May 8 with a B.A. in English and a TESOL minor. He will teach English in Indonesia for 10 months beginning August 22. Kraft was also awarded a Peace Corps opportunity, but turned that down the week before his Fulbright came through.
"I was pending in the second round of the Fulbright competition, and Peace Corps needed me to commit to going to Mongolia as a teacher trainer for two years," said Kraft. "On April 14, I declined Peace Corps and asked them to deactivate my application; all my hopes were on Fulbright. Four days later I received mail that was postmarked April 14. It was my acceptance letter from Fulbright. I was thankful and in awe."
Kraft joins 14 APU alumni who have studied abroad with a Fulbright Grant, who have taught in countries like, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Romania, Slovakia, Tunisia, and Turkey. Most received English Teaching Assistant (ETA) scholarships or research and study grants to Asian countries, the experience is one that is valuable and has a great impact on the participants.
"The Fulbright award offers students a wonderful opportunity to live and study abroad for an academic year and be immersed in another culture. They bring back many experiences that prepare them for further graduate study or employment and which enable them to be a bridge between the American culture and their host country," said Diane Guido, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate programs.
The ETA program places U.S. students as English teaching assistants in schools or universities overseas, serving two purposes: improving foreign students' English language abilities and knowledge of the United States and increasing the Fulbright student's understanding of the host country's culture and language.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and offers scholarship opportunities for recent graduates, postgraduate candidates, and developing professionals and artists to conduct career-launching study and research abroad. Each year, Fulbright offers more than 1,200 American grantees the ability to study abroad. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills.
