Meghan Michael of Saratoga Springs, NY
Three More Grads Earn Fulbrights
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Three additional members of the Boston College Class of 2010 have been awarded Fulbrights, bringing to 17 the number of BC students this year who earned the prestigious grant, which supports a year's post-baccalaureate study abroad.Josh Idaszak, who earned his bachelor's degree in English and American Studies, will go to Turkey as an English teaching assistant.
"I want to teach English because I believe that our highest achievement as human beings is our ability to express life through language, both written and spoken, as we use language to convey to others what we think and feel," said Idaszak, a resident of Potomac, Md.
Idaszak is undecided as yet on his post-Fulbright plans but hopes to pursue writing "in some form or another." One of his reasons for seeking a Fulbright, he said, "was to have time to write and a new environment/experience to spark creativity. I feel very fortunate that I was selected, and I hope the Fulbright will be a steppingstone to other important opportunities."
Meghan Michael of Saratoga Springs, NY, plans to travel to Jordan, where as an intern with the University of Jordan and UNESCO she will analyze the social impact of water shortages, especially on women.
"I wanted to study two of my principle areas of interest, women in the Middle East and the social effects of water, after I graduated," said Michael, whose undergraduate degree was in International Studies and Arabic Studies. "Jordan seemed like the perfect place to study both. I also have a personal interest in the region, particularly in Jordan. Both my thesis and undergraduate major pertained to the country, and after spending time previously working in the region, I am looking forward to returning there.
"The Fulbright grant is providing me with a tremendous opportunity to broaden my educational experience, and to personalize what I have already learned," added Michael, who has served as a consultant for UNESCO on drought relief and water management in Iraq, and worked as an intern at a newspaper in Cairo while studying Egyptian colloquial Arabic. "It also permits me to contribute to current work on the effects and management of water shortages in a way that will hopefully impact the people with whom I am working in a meaningful way."
Jeanette Hall also was awarded a Fulbright for an English teaching assistantship in Turkey, but had committed to work for the Teach For America program in Hawaii. The Cary, NC, resident plans to reapply in two years when she completes her TFA tenure.
Hall, who majored in English and American Studies and minored in music at BC, looks to eventually enter graduate school and study American studies and literature, while continuing to work in the filed of applied linguistics.