Three Class of ’25 Grads Receive Fulbright ETAs
Three members of the class of ‘25 are packing their bags and heading to new countries through the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship awards. They will return to study abroad favorites, embrace new cultures, and serve as bridges between the U.S. and the world. Joining the latest graduates is Jason Le ’23, recipient of an ETA Award to Vietnam.
Meet the Students
Minors: Hispanic Studies, Literature
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Why Spain?
I studied abroad in Madrid my junior spring, which was the longest time I’ve spent in Spain, and I really loved it. Also, my grandfather was born and raised in Cordoba, so I grew up going to his hometown on family vacations. I’ve really loved the country, the culture, and the language from a pretty young age. I pursued that at Hamilton through the Hispanic Studies minor and when I went back for my junior year to study abroad, I thought, “Oh my gosh, this is the place I want to be.”
Was there anyone at Hamilton who influenced you to apply?
My professors really gave me the confidence to apply, especially Professors [Mahala] Stewart, [Matt] Grace, and [Stephen] Ellingson from the sociology department. Working with them over the years, I feel like they’ve really built up my skills and made me more confident in going for things that I thought were out of my league, like the Fulbright. In the Hispanic Studies department, Professors [Cecilia] Hwangpo and [Joana] Sabadell-Nieto really helped me develop my Spanish skills and my confidence.
What is your “mission” for your Fulbright, and beyond?
I’ve been thinking about the Fulbright as a way to challenge myself and grow. While I feel like I did a lot of growing, changing, and maturing at Hamilton, there’s something about the complete independence and aloneness in an entirely new place of the Fulbright that I feel is a really good impetus for additional growth. I’m looking forward to challenging myself in that way. At the same time, being on a Fulbright is about connecting with and reaching other people and I want to incorporate that into my time in La Rioja. Afterwards, I’m hoping to go on to a Ph.D. in sociology. I really love to teach, and this will be my first official foray into a classroom. Developing those skills working with students will be really important.
How did Hamilton help you “know thyself”?
Hamilton encouraged me to try a lot of different things. I went into Hamilton thinking I’d be a literature major, and then I took one sociology class because of the open curriculum and that totally changed my path. I have a friend on the ice hockey team and as a result I started figure skating, which I’ve never done before. The diversity of the community and the community encouragement has gotten me to try things outside of my comfort zone, which really helped my development, growth, and ability to know myself.
Hometown: Kissimmee, Florida
Why Indonesia?
I studied abroad there last spring and stayed with a lot of host families. My 16-year-old host brother in Java was really focused on practicing English with me and it was very palpable to see how much social and economic mobility you can gain from speaking good English in Indonesia. As much as I was learning Indonesian while abroad, people were trying to learn English from me. I also know that Indonesia can create a lot of culture shock for people so I thought of all the people who could do this position, it would make sense for me to go since I already know what it’s like and I wouldn’t have to take as much time to get used to it and I could do the most impact.
Was there anyone at Hamilton who influenced you to apply?
Lisa Grimes has been a huge Fulbright mentor and grant mentor in general. She helped me with getting the Gilman scholarship, which helped me go abroad to Indonesia the first time. She kept up with me while I was over there and when I said I wanted to come back, she sent me so many ways to get back there. Russell Marcus in the philosophy department has also been a huge supporter of mine and he really gave me the confidence to know that I can teach people and that I could make a bigger impact because he has been such a good teacher. Marjorie Hurley at the Wellin, also, has been really good at keeping me focused on what I want to do later in my life.
How did Hamilton help you “know thyself”?
I took a Philosophy of the Self class my freshman year and that was very influential in turning me into a philosophy major. Basically, what I figured out from that class was that there is no core self that you’re finding, and you shouldn’t be too worried about it because everything you do and everything you say is everything that you are. Your self is basically how you express yourself on the outside and all of the experiences in your life will affect those choices. But I think that Hamilton has also made me understand that I do have certain aspirations about how I want to be, how I want to act, what I want to say, and what becomes me. Something that has been a big focus of mine over the past few years is how to be gentler. When I think back to my freshman year, I was very strict with myself and afraid to make mistakes, whereas now I take a more laissez-faire approach with my own decision making. I’ve grown to understand that we are allowed to learn.
Hometown: Longmeadow, Mass.
Why Poland?
I chose to go to Poland because most of my family is from there and I grew up surrounded by Polish culture. I’ve always wanted to learn more about it and what better way than to live there for 9 months?
What do you hope to learn from your Fulbright?
I’m hoping to progress my Polish; it’s a difficult language to learn so being surrounded by native speakers is helpful. I’m also hoping to learn more about myself and what I want to do in life.
How did Hamilton help you to “know thyself”?
Hamilton provided me with so many resources to do what I wanted to do. I received immense funding for internships and projects during my time at Hamilton, and without that I would not be where I am today.
What is your mission for your Fulbright, and beyond?
My mission is what the Fulbright mission is: to be a cultural ambassador of the United States, to encourage cross-cultural understanding, and to increase students’ English abilities so they may have better opportunities. After the Fulbright, I will be attending Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health to pursue a master’s in public health (MPH).
Did anyone at Hamilton influence or mentor you to apply?
[Professor of Biology] Natalie Nannas, my mentor of four years, discussed it early on, and I decided to give it a shot.
Fellowship Advising at Hamilton
Students interested in learning more about Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship should contact Director of Student Fellowships Lisa Grimes.
More Fellowships News
Three Class of ’25 Grads Receive Fulbright ETAs
Three jet-setting members of the class of ’25 are packing their bags and heading to new countries through the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) awards. They will return to study abroad favorites, embrace new cultures, and serve as bridges between the U.S. and the world. In addition, Jason Le ’23 is the recipient of an ETA Award to Vietnam.
Quentin Messer ’26 Awarded Harry S. Truman Scholarship
Quentin Messer ’26 was recently awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship to pursue work in industrial and manufacturing policy. He becomes Hamilton’s third recipient of the prestigious award, presented to students interested in careers in public service, following Dewayne Martin ’24 and Frederick Nelson ’78. A world politics concentrator, Messer plans to pursue a J.D. and Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) following graduation.
