A special person in my life is my Grandma Joan. One of her favorite mantras/ideas is that you always have to have more than one plan. So if Plan A doesn't work, you can move to Plan B. Sometimes you know what Plan B is and other times, you make Plan B up as you go. So this little series is for her. Throughout my senior year, I'll be making posts like this, letting you know how my post-graduation plans are shaping up.
Here is Plan A. Coe has had a strong tradition of having students who receive a Fulbright scholarship. These are prestigious scholarships where students (undergraduates, masters, and doctorates) have the opportunity to teach English or conduct a research project for one year almost anywhere on the globe.
We also have the best Fulbright advisor. It's Ann Struthers, a now retired Coe professor. She taught poetry at Coe and has also been awarded two Fulbrights (Syria and Sri Lanka). So Ann is pretty experienced. She works with several students each year, helping us fine tune our essays and get ready to submit our applications.
This summer I considered a Fulbright, a lot. After seeing several Coe students awarded them over the past three years, it seemed like an opportunity/experience I had to try for, otherwise I might regret my inaction later down the road. After looking through several countries' programs, I decided on Greece.
Yes, Greece.
The program I found is an HAEF Teaching Fellowship. If awarded one of the 12 scholarships, I would spend nine months working with elementary to high school students in their English classes, in their library, and after school with their forensics (public speaking) club. This program sounded right up my alley, especially considering my desire to be a children's librarian later on in life.
Once I knew it was Greece, I set to work on writing the two essays needed for the application. The first is a statement of grant purpose, basically, what I would bring to the program and country and my previous teaching experience. The second essay is a personal statement, an explanation of who I am and other traits I want the Fulbright Committee to know. I spent the end of my summer and the first few weeks of the school year fine tuning my essays and sending them to Ann for suggested revisions.
With several-times-over revised essays, I then had to meet with a Coe committee. They asked about my desires to go to Greece and pursue a Fulbright scholarship. This committee also gave me excellent feedback on my essays, which I then revised (a shout out to Julia and Ethan in the WC for their out-of-this-world conferences!).
Then, with everything revised, transcripts uploaded, three excellent letters of recommendations sent in, I was ready to hit "submit." It was an incredible feeling; I am very proud how the essays and application turned out.
But now I wait. It won't be until December if I know if I've made the first cut. I'm sure the tension will build, but I'm hoping for the best! And that's Plan A. Stay tuned for Plan B (and maybe even C!).
This summer I considered a Fulbright, a lot. After seeing several Coe students awarded them over the past three years, it seemed like an opportunity/experience I had to try for, otherwise I might regret my inaction later down the road. After looking through several countries' programs, I decided on Greece.
Yes, Greece.
The program I found is an HAEF Teaching Fellowship. If awarded one of the 12 scholarships, I would spend nine months working with elementary to high school students in their English classes, in their library, and after school with their forensics (public speaking) club. This program sounded right up my alley, especially considering my desire to be a children's librarian later on in life.
Once I knew it was Greece, I set to work on writing the two essays needed for the application. The first is a statement of grant purpose, basically, what I would bring to the program and country and my previous teaching experience. The second essay is a personal statement, an explanation of who I am and other traits I want the Fulbright Committee to know. I spent the end of my summer and the first few weeks of the school year fine tuning my essays and sending them to Ann for suggested revisions.
With several-times-over revised essays, I then had to meet with a Coe committee. They asked about my desires to go to Greece and pursue a Fulbright scholarship. This committee also gave me excellent feedback on my essays, which I then revised (a shout out to Julia and Ethan in the WC for their out-of-this-world conferences!).
Then, with everything revised, transcripts uploaded, three excellent letters of recommendations sent in, I was ready to hit "submit." It was an incredible feeling; I am very proud how the essays and application turned out.
But now I wait. It won't be until December if I know if I've made the first cut. I'm sure the tension will build, but I'm hoping for the best! And that's Plan A. Stay tuned for Plan B (and maybe even C!).
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