UR Grad Awarded Fulbright to Teach English in Kazakhstan

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Justine Guan, a May 2019 University of Richmond graduate from New York City, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to teach English at a university or post-secondary institution in Kazakhstan.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected for academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.

Guan majored in Healthcare Studies and minored in Russian Studies. She is fluent in Mandarin. She visited Kazakhstan while on a semester abroad in Saint Petersburg, which she says inspired her to apply for a Fulbright award there.

“I knew that I wanted to spend more time in Kazakhstan, especially with the country’s growing geopolitical significance in the English and Russian-speaking world,” said Guan.

Guan, who will begin her award in January 2020, plans to learn Kazakh, seek volunteer opportunities working with senior citizens and community outreach, and participate in cultural activities while in Kazakhstan. 

Following her Fulbright, she plans to pursue a career in social work or international education. She joins three UR students who received English Teaching Assistantship grants in the spring. More than 10,000 students applied for one of about 2,000 available grants to study, conduct research, and teach abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for 2019-20.

To date, the University of Richmond has had 60 student Fulbright grant recipients.

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