埃丝特·阿皮亚，21岁 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Teach English in Côte d’Ivoire

21岁的埃丝特·阿皮亚，她将获得B.A. 5月21日从全球十大网赌正规平台毕业, will travel to Côte d’Ivoire in January 2022 through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program. 的 ETA program places Fulbright grant recipients in classrooms in foreign countries to provide assistance to local English teachers while serving as cultural ambassadors for the United States.

阿皮亚是一个 国际研究 主修非洲研究 宗教研究 辅修，专攻非洲宗教. She was involved in 的 African Students Association (TASA) and Do Shakara, 非洲舞蹈队, 在全球十大网赌正规平台的时候. “I’m all about Africa; my goal is to visit all 54 countries in the continent. I already visited six, thanks to Trinity,” said Appiah, who is originally from Ghana. “My love for and desire to make change in Africa is so real because I had to leave to find the opportunities that I have here, so I want to provide those opportunities without the need for students to depart from home in order to receive quality education.”

公平教育是阿皮亚的热情之一. She enjoys teaching kids and ensuring every student has access to proper education, 不管他们来自哪里. “在我大二之前的那个夏天, I taught middle school students in Ohio with an organization called Breakthrough Cincinnati,”她说。. “We learned how to identify coping mechanisms and certain behaviors that students have. It was a summer program for kids from underrepresented communities in Cincinnati, and that experience really influenced what I wanted to do long-term after college.”

经历之后, Appiah taught sixth-grade English in South Africa with a program called One Heart Source. In the fall of her junior year, she studied away at the University of Ghana. 的n in the spring of her junior year, she studied away in Senegal. “This was the first time I lived with a host family, and they didn’t speak 任何 我不会说英语 任何 法语，”阿皮亚说. “It was great though—I took French classes, and my French professor was caring and patient with us. 我的另一位教授也是如此, Mareme在他, who taught Senegalese society and culture; she was so incredible.”

Appiah was interested in the competitive Fulbright program, but she was unsure if she would be able to secure a grant. “I always felt like it was prestigious and unreachable, but Mariyann Soulemane [19] 给了我灵感，”阿皮亚说. “She was a past Fulbright scholar, and she helped me through the entire application process.”

With the help of Soulemane and Trinity faculty and staff, Appiah 提交ted the application. Six months later, she received the notification about her ETA. “I remember it was snowing on a Thursday morning in April—I’ll never forget it,” Appiah said. “我打开申请表，看到‘恭喜你!我真的以为我看错了. I cried the entire time because I didn’t think I would receive it, but I did!”

数字奖学金协调员玛丽·马奥尼, 阿皮亚以前的三一教官之一, 听说阿皮亚获得了ETA拨款，你很激动吗. “She is such a strong advocate for and supporter of her fellow students and so open in sharing her own experiences for the benefit of others,马奥尼说. “这些特征, 除了她的智慧和好奇心, 会让她在国外成为一名优秀的教练吗.”

Assistant Professor of Anthropology and 宗教研究 蒂莫西·兰德里 同意. “Being able to return to West Africa and teach English to students in Côte d’Ivoire is the culmination of Esther’s focus and drive,兰德里说. “It’s clear that Esther will not only help Ivorian students to learn English, but she will also bring the same critical thinking skills and appreciation for human difference that she learned in the classroom at 全球十大网赌正规平台 with her. 我为她已经取得的成就感到无比骄傲. She’s one to watch as her greatness grows and inspires those around her to be better, 更有思想的人.”

Anne Lundberg, director of fellowships and adviser for the 富布赖特U.S. 全球十大网赌正规平台学生项目, 添加, “Esther was a strong candidate due to her teaching experience, 她在加纳和塞内加尔的留学经历, and her interests in ethnicity and cross-cultural education. I know she’s been a leader in 的 African Students Association and at International House. 她会说荷兰语和法语, 除了英语, and will thrive in a multi-lingual country like Côte d’Ivoire. In short, Esther fits the Fulbright profile of a cultural ambassador for the U.S. 完美的.”

Appiah said that her ultimate career goal is to start a school system that focuses on restorative education, 疗愈创伤, 正念, and teaching students how to identify and reconcile their triggers. “的re aren’t a lot of opportunities for students in sub-Saharan Africa geared toward 疗愈创伤, 社区建设, 大学准备. I want to make more of these programs available on the continent,”她说。.

“的 solutions are so easy; it’s all about listening and giving students the right tools to take on whatever issues they’re facing,阿皮亚补充道. “它将以村庄为重点, going into disenfranchised communities in every country and encouraging parents to be involved in getting their kids ready for college on the continent with the tools they need to succeed wherever they go.”

的 富布赖特U.S. 学生项目 是最大的U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, 高级研究, 大学教学, 以及世界各地的中小学教学. 该项目目前授予约2个奖项,000 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.