by Jamie Hanson

Last spring, Rachel Grammer ’10, of McHenry, Ill., was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Grant that gives her the opportunity to teach English in Turkey for nine months. Grammer is Northwestern’s seventh Fulbright winner in the past seven years.

While at Northwestern, Grammer spent a summer studying in Israel, propelling her interest in applying for the Fulbright Grant. “My experience in Israel was the primary reason I chose to apply for the ETA in Turkey,” said Grammer. “It gave me a different perspective on the Middle East; it gave me a heart for the people in that area of the world.”

The Fulbright ETA program places students in schools or universities in a designated country to teach English through a variety of activities. During their experience, Fulbright recipients are integrated into the host community, giving them a greater perspective and knowledge of the country and increasing their language skills.

Her degree in English helped prepare her for this experience, Grammer noted. “A lot of my [Northwestern] classes will serve me well as I teach English—the language/linguistics courses will be beneficial.”

Grammer departed for Turkey in September and sees this opportunity as one that will stretch her in her abilities and character—and hopefully provide a few answers to guide her future.

“I’ve considered going back to school to get my master’s degree in TESOL [Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages] or linguistics,” she said. “I hope that this experience will clarify some of my future as far as teaching and whether or not I want to work abroad, perhaps in missions or international communication.”

The Fulbright Grant program is a part of the U.S. Institute of International Education and selects participants with strong academic merit and leadership potential.