After Anna Anderson receives her bachelor’s degree from St. Ambrose on May 15, she will have only a few months to prepare for a year in Southeast Asia as a Fulbright scholar teaching English to Korean high school students.

Anna, the daughter of Mark and Kari Anderson of Muscatine, Iowa, will live with a Korean host family. And even though she knows no Korean, she is looking forward to the opportunity to immerse herself in the culture. “I hope to come away with a greater knowledge of Korea and its importance in our ever-changing world,” she said.

Fulbright scholars are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 250,000 participants like Anderson with the opportunity to study and teach in other countries, exchange ideas and develop joint solutions to address shared concerns. The program awards about 1,000 grants a year and operates in more than 140 countries.

Anna, who is majoring in journalism, is the university’s second Fulbright Scholar in as many years, and SAU’s third Fulbright recipient overall. Last year, 2004 SAU graduate Lacey Jacobs, a double major in communication and German from Charles City, Iowa, received a Fulbright scholarship to travel to Mannheim, Germany, for a 10-month internship at an advertising agency.

Asked what her career aspirations are after she’s fulfilled her year in Korea, Anna replied, “It's next to impossible to make future plans at this point. This experience will change my perspective and broaden my horizons.”

St. Ambrose students who would like to pursue a year of post-graduate study overseas, or those who would like to teach English as a second language in another country, may find opportunities available to them in the Fulbright Scholarship Program. Contact SAU Fulbright Adviser Dr. Barbara Pitz, Professor of English, at PitzBarbaraA@sau.edu.