UR senior awarded Fulbright grant to teach English in Morocco

April 28, 2016

University of Richmond senior Klarabelle Celine Ang of Pasadena, Calif., has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to teach English in Morocco.

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. Foreign students’ improve their English language abilities and knowledge of the United States, and U.S. students increase their own language skills and knowledge of the host country, according to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Ang is an international studies and French double major with linguistics and dance minors. She is a French drill instructor at University of Richmond, which has given her experience leading a language class. She will be in Morocco for 10 months beginning in September.

“I am a huge proponent of language learning, so I was drawn to the English Teaching Assistant position,” said Ang. “As a language student myself, I have experienced how languages can be tools to broaden perspectives and to more meaningfully participate in today’s increasingly globalized world.”

During her time at Richmond, Ang studied abroad on a faculty-led summer program in La Rochelle, France and the AMIDEAST Rabat, Morocco program for a semester.

“My semester abroad in Morocco was one of the best times of my life, and I’ve been trying to go back since I left,” said Ang.

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. The university’s Office of International Education has partnerships with nearly 80 institutions outside the U.S., enabling Richmond students to study abroad in more than 30 countries.

“Celine was motivated to bring her international experience to the next level,“ said Martha Merritt, dean of International Education. “Fulbright awards recognize not only a student’s prowess and vision, but also their disposition to promote international goodwill in the fields of education, culture and science.”

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. Fulbright grant recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

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