Senior awarded Fulbright grant to teach English in Germany

April 12, 2017

University of Richmond senior Ryan McEvoy of Brooklyn, N.Y., has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant.

McEvoy is triple majoring in German studies, international studies and history with a focus on world politics and diplomacy. He is a Jewish studies minor.

He will be teaching English and American studies in a school in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia September 2017 through June 2018.

McEvoy is fluent in German and has worked as a drill instructor for German at the University of Richmond, which he says allowed him to help others learn the language.

“While in Germany, I am also interested in exploring the possibility of pursuing an additional community engagement activity such as an internship that would allow me to work with newly resettled refugees,” McEvoy said.

McEvoy has participated in multiple study abroad projects during his time at University of Richmond, including two summers in Berlin, and trips to Poland and Israel. He spent a semester abroad in Bangalore, India where completed coursework in, Indian culture and history, international development and elementary Hindi.

“These opportunities have not only allowed me to sharpen my language skills, but also to develop the relevant cultural competency needed for successful in-country engagement,” said McEvoy.

After returning from Germany, McEvoy plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

“Ryan made the most of his time abroad as an undergraduate and used this experience to write a compelling application for a Fulbright award,“ said Martha Merritt, international education dean. “Fulbright recognizes both academic achievement and a desire to serve as an educational ambassador for the United States.”

“A University of Richmond education promotes a willingness to learn about and become engaged with the world, as Ryan demonstrates,” Merritt added.

University of Richmond invests in opportunities that enrich and expand the educational experience, including study abroad. Richmond’s international education program sends nearly 65 percent of undergraduates to study abroad with university support, while bringing international students from more than 75 countries to study on campus.

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The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program places recent college graduates and young professionals as English teaching assistants in primary schools, secondary schools or universities overseas - improving foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States, while increasing the U.S. student's own language skills and knowledge of the host country, according to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program