Arlington Heights student receives prestigious Fulbright fellowship

2016 Apr 25

Jessie Bingaman was one of four Carthage College students to have been awarded a Fulbright fellowship to teach the English language and share American culture abroad next year.

Sponsored by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program operates in more than 160 countries as the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

The awards raise Carthage's total to 17 Fulbright fellowships in the past nine years.

A Spanish, Chinese, and Asian Studies major form Arlington Heights, Jessie will teach English in Taiwan at an elementary or junior high school for one year. She will draw on her previous experience teaching English skills as an instructor at a summer language camp in Beijing, China and as a tutor in the Writing Center. She also has served as a tutor for Carthage students learning Spanish. The Fulbright placement will be a return abroad for Jessie, who spent her junior year studying first in Lima, Peru, and then in Nanjing, China. She previously participated in Carthage's J-Term service-centered course in Nicaragua as well as a J-Term course in Guatemala.

"I see my time in Taiwan as being one filled with opportunity for me, my students, and the community," Jessie wrote in her Fulbright application essay. "I believe that through cultural and linguistic interaction we can create deep intercultural relationships and promote better understanding between our nations. On a personal level, the experience would allow me to grow as an educator, a language learner, and a member of a global community."

After the completion of her teaching assistantship, she is considering pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership or working for the U.S. State Department.