Three seniors have earned Fulbright Scholarships, which provide funding for study or teaching abroad for one year to promote cross-cultural interaction and increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and other countries through educational and cultural exchange. Three others have been awarded Austrian Government Teaching Assistantships, under the auspices of the Austrian-American Fulbright Commission.
Laura Armstrong ‘12 • Costa Rica
In addition to pursuing a history major and teaching minor at Bowdoin, Armstrong has gained experience working with children by volunteering in various elementary and middle school classrooms and leading teen bicycle tours. She has been an active member of the Outing Club and dedicated her energy to women’s issues through her involvement with Speak About It and the Vagina Monologues, and by serving as the student director of the Women’s Resource Center.
In Costa Rica, Armstrong will draw upon all these experiences. She will teach English part-time and hopes to volunteer with at least two types of organizations — one focused on women’s issues and a second aimed at promoting sustainable business or conservation. Armstrong is also eager to learn more about Costa Rican public art.
After her Fulbright experience, she plans to complete her teaching certificate in high school social studies through Bowdoin’s Teacher Scholars Program and says she would one day love to use her Spanish language skills teaching in a bilingual school.
Eli Garrard ’12 • Argentina
Having been a recipient of Bowdoin’s Surdna Fellowship, Grua/O’Connell Fellowship and Latin American Studies Grant, Garrard will graduate with a double major in Spanish and Latin American studies and a minor in film studies. He first became interested in language teaching while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, where he worked as an English tutor with adult members of the Kolla indigenous community. Since then, Garrard has worked on campus through the Center for Learning and Teaching as a tutor of both Spanish and English, as well as volunteering as an ESL classroom assistant at Portland Adult Education.
Growing up Seattle, Garrard performed alone and with his family at both national and international storytelling festivals. Currently, he is making use of his drawing and storytelling skills to create a graphic novel based on his family’s history. While in Argentina with the Fulbright, in addition to teaching English, he plans to involve local children in a community art project, teaching them to tell personal and family stories through the medium of comics. He also hopes to organize an oral history project to record the stories of community members and older citizens in particular. Upon completing his Fulbright, Garrard intends to continue teaching English in the U.S. and abroad, possibly as a member of the Peace Corps. In future, he expects to pursue an advanced degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages or Spanish.
Daniel Jeong ’12 • Korea
At Bowdoin, Jeong has pursued a double major in sociology and government and legal studies. Originally from New York City, his early love of music followed him to Bowdoin where he joined and held leadership positions with the campus a cappella group BOKA. Since his sophomore year, Jeong has also been a varsity diver for the swimming and diving team.
