Katherine Hale, a 2007 Western Kentucky University graduate and former Academy Residential Counselor, will leave 
Saturday to spend eight months in Argentina as a recipient of a 2009-2010 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant.
Hale, an Honors College graduate who majored in Spanish, German and Religious Studies, received one of 15 Fulbright grants available to teach English in Argentina.
Hale plans to apply for graduate school at the end of her Fulbright year and begin studies in the fall of 2011, but she hasn’t determined a specific degree program to pursue.
“ETAs in Argentina instruct at Teacher Training Institutes, a fact that was particularly appealing to Katherine, as she is considering a career teaching at the university level,” said Jeanne Sokolowski, Fulbright application coordinator for WKU’s Office of Scholar Development. “Though there are ETA grants available to teach in more than 40 countries, Katherine chose wisely in applying to Argentina, as the program there fits with her long-term goals.”
Hale hopes that the Fulbright experience will help her determine her career path. “I plan to work either as a college professor or an international programs administrator,” Hale said. “I am excited about the opportunity to gain experience teaching at the college level.”
From March to November, Hale will be working as a language assistant at the Universidad Nacional de Villa María (National University of Villa María) in Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina.
“My work will consist of giving presentations on cultural and historical topics relating to the United States in English classes and otherwise providing assistance to faculty and students within the English department,” Hale said.
Since the teaching load is not full-time, ETAs also propose a supplementary project or suggest activities that will help involve them in their local communities. “In continuation of my most recent work as a Preschool ESL Assistant in Warren County Schools,” Hale said, “I plan to volunteer at an orphanage, working in small groups with the young, preschool-aged children with the goal of developing their pre-literacy skills. I will do this primarily through reading, word games and conversations. I plan to track their progress in letter recognition and phonological awareness over the months that I spend working with them.”
Hale said another goal during her Fulbright experience in Argentina is to improve her Spanish to a level that will give her the confidence to work as a part-time interpreter she returns to the United States.
This will not be Hale’s first experience living abroad. She spent a semester in Morelia, Mexico, studying Spanish with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies. As part of her undergraduate studies in German, she spent a semester at the University of Education Vienna in Austria.
“I am excited to see that Katherine will spend time in Argentina, where she can immerse herself in the Argentine culture and continue her study of Spanish,” said Dr. Laura McGee, WKU German professor and Interim Head of Modern Languages. “No doubt the year will be very productive for her future.”
Sokolowski noted that the 2009-2010 Fulbright cycle was the second time Hale had applied for the ETA grant. “Students sometimes think you apply once and if you don’t get something, that’s it,” she said. “However, in Katherine’s case, her decision to apply again was a testament to her perseverance, and it paid off.”
While students like Hale work closely with the Office of Scholar Development on Fulbright applications, Sokolowski noted that “faculty are a key element in recruiting and encouraging students in applying for this, one of the most prestigious scholarships.”
“I am particularly grateful for the guidance Amy Eckhardt of the Honors College at WKU provided throughout my Fulbright application process,” Hale said. “And four other professors who have been mentors and were instrumental in helping me receive the grant: Dr. Lawrence Snyder, Dr. Laura McGee and Dr. Sonia Lenk of WKU and Dr. Fred de Rosset of Berea College.”
The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Six WKU students applied for the 2010-2011 Fulbright application cycle, with four advancing to the final round review. The next application cycle opens in May; students interested in applying are encouraged to contact Jeanne Sokolowski at jeanne.sokolowski@wku.edu at the Office of Scholar Development to start the process.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Jeanne Sokolowski at (270) 745-2081.