When Phoebe Carter ’17 started thinking about applying for a Fulbright fellowship during her sophomore year at Kenyon, the modern languages and literatures major presumed she would apply to travel to a Latin American country. But Carter, who also studies Arabic in addition to her primary language, Spanish, changed her mind after studying abroad in Jordan during her junior year. “I wanted to continue studying the literature of that region and learn more Arabic,” she said.
During her 10-month return to Jordan, Carter will teach English to local students, but also plans to conduct intercultural exchange and undertake community engagement programs. “What I’m hoping to do is work on a translation project, collaborating with young local writers in translating their work, and I hope to compile some sort of anthology,” she said. Carter’s interest in translation was spurred by her advisor, Professor of Spanish Katherine Hedeen. “I took a literary translation class with her my sophomore year, and that’s what got me interested in translation and got me thinking about its political and cultural implications.”
Carter, who is from Fairfield, Iowa, is looking forward to returning to a country she’s already come to know well. “I’ll be able to hit the ground running rather than having to take the first few months to get my bearings,” she said. “I love teaching, so I’m really looking forward to getting to work with students and getting to know them. I’ve worked as an AT [assistant teacher] both in the Spanish department and the Arabic department, so I’ve loved teaching foreign languages, and I think it will be interesting and exciting now to be teaching my own language.”
Carter’s Fulbright fellowship is one of 11 awarded this year to Kenyon seniors and recent graduates. Two more seniors were selected as alternates for the program. Additionally, Alana Gale ’17 and Julia Richards ’17 won Foreign Language Teaching Assistantships administered by Fulbright Austria. Gale, an English and modern languages and literatures (Spanish and German) major from Independence, Kentucky, will teach English in the town of Judenburg. Richards, an English major from New York City, will teach in Gmunden.
Daniel Garcia-Archundia ’17, a political science and Spanish major from Woodburn, Oregon, received a Fulbright fellowship to Colombia.
Ellie Dawson ’15, an anthropology and English major from Dallas, Texas, will be teaching English in Macedonia. She has previously been working for the Peace Corps in Kosovo, and is looking forward to learning Macedonian and exploring the country’s traditional music.
Morgan Harden ’17, an English and Spanish major from Charlotte, North Carolina, will be teaching English at a teachers’ college in Argentina, while also running a creative writing club designed to encourage artistic expression in English for students. She plans to explore Argentine literature and hike around Monte Fitz Roy.
Maher Latif ’17, an economics and Chinese major from Upper Arlington, Ohio, will be teaching English in Taichung, Taiwan. He looks forward to learning about aboriginal cultures in Taiwan and improving his Mandarin language skills.
Seth Myers ’17, a German and English major from Prairie Village, Kansas, will be teaching English in Lower Saxony, Germany. He is looking forward to working with German students in a classroom setting, improving his language skills and traveling throughout the region.
Jordan Quintin ’17, an international studies major from North Attleboro, Massachusetts, will be teaching English in Kenya. Having participated in programs in South Africa and Uganda, she is looking forward to seeing more of Sub-Saharan Africa and learning more about the intersection of economic development and education. Quintin plans to pursue a graduate degree as a pediatric nurse practitioner.
Kendall Theroux ’17, an anthropology and German major from Woodstock, Vermont, will be teaching English in Lower Saxony, Germany. Additionally, she will research contemporary German culture from an American anthropological perspective.
Scott Treiman ’17, a neuroscience major from Salt Lake City, will be teaching English at a medical school in Tomsk, Russia. He plans to attend medical school himself after returning to the U.S.
Lee Wickham ’17, a German and political science major from Wellesley, Massachusetts, will be teaching English in Hamburg, Germany. He is excited to return to Germany after studying abroad in the country during the Spring of 2016. He is looking forward to honing his German language skills and traveling within Europe, especially to the Balkans.
Otis Wortley ’13, an international studies major from Williamstown, Massachusetts, will be teaching English in Neiva, Colombia. He has been working as a high school Spanish teacher and is eager to develop his skills as a foreign-language educator and to refine his spoken Spanish. He plans to explore how environmentalism has played a role in the peace process in Colombia.