Allyson “Ally” Golightly ’13 and Kelly Zug ’12 will begin their teaching careers in South Korea and Bulgaria, respectively, as recipients of Fulbright program English Teaching Assistantships.
Two Elon University alumni have accepted Fulbright U.S. Student Grants to teach English for a year in South Korea and Bulgaria beginning this fall.
A third alumna from the Class of 2013 declined a Fulbright grant to teach in South Korea, opting instead to begin her teaching career in North Carolina.
Golightly, a native of Frederick, Md., who graduated in May with a degree in elementary education, travels to South Korea with support of the program’s English Teaching Assistantship.
At Elon, Golightly was a National Teaching Fellow, an Elon Presidential Scholar and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She also took part in Elon Women’s Club Lacrosse, Safe Rides, the Student Union Board and Alpha Phi Omega.
Golightly is the daughter of Kathryn Golightly and Douglas Golightly of Frederick, Md.
“This award helps me to fulfill my desire to learn about another culture and teaching philosophy in order to improve my cultural understanding and teaching ability,” she said.
Zug, a resident of Haverford, Pa., who majored in international studies, will teach English in Bulgaria through an English Teaching Assistantship. She has spent much of the past year teaching in a private language school in Valencia, Spain, in addition to working as an English teacher and residential life coordinator for a language immersion summer camp in Pennsylvania.
Her interest in the Eastern European nation derives in part from her experiences with a Bulgarian exchange student and her research on the Roma population.
“For me, the Fulbright provides an incredible opportunity to work with people from diverse cultures abroad in language and culture exchange, human rights and international issues,” she said. “Studying abroad was a transformative experience, illustrating the importance of intercultural interaction in our globalized world. As I have become aware of the incredible insights that learning languages can provide, I am even more determined to work with others to help open doors to the value of experiencing cultures different from one’s own.”
Zug is the daughter of Elizabeth Zug of California, and Graham Zug of Haverford, Pa.
Holly Geibel ‘13 declined the offer of Fulbright grant to teach English in South Korea and instead accepted a position teaching history at a private school in Cary, N.C.
About the Fulbright program:
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered through the Institute of International Education, the Fulbright was established in 1946 by Congress to “enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
Since its establishment under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Twelve Elon students or alumni, including the university’s two most recent recipients, have accepted Fulbright grants dating to 2007.