By Beth Knapinski
of the Scout
One Bradley student got the green light to chase his dreams across the world during the next school year.
Senior history secondary education major Derek Cantu will take his education abroad to Nove Zamky, Slovakia as part of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program.
Beginning in August, Cantu will spend 10 months in Slovakia as a teaching assistant for English and expand students’ knowledge of American culture.
“My education degree will allow me to know different teaching strategies and the opportunity to have real world experience in the classroom,” Cantu said. “The history side is also important because the Slovak program wants someone who can share different aspects about American culture.”
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is a United States government-sponsored international educational exchange program that aims to increase understanding between Americans and people of other countries.
While Cantu’s work in Slovakia will focus on education, he said his career goals go beyond the classroom, and the Fulbright assistantship will help him pursue these goals.
“With acceptance into Fulbright, more doors are open to me,” Cantu said. “I still plan to attend law school afterwards, but now, I have more of a foot in the door for a possible career of working for the state department and helping to craft foreign policy plans.”
Cantu said he owes a great deal to Bradley Chair of the Fulbright Advisory Committee Tim Conley and the committee for its assistance during the application process.
The process, which Cantu said began in spring 2013 and finished in October 2013, included an application of biographical data, a statement of grant purpose, a personal statement about the potential host country, references, transcripts and interviews.
Cantu is not the only Bradley student to recently be accepted into the Fulbright program. Julie Mohedano ‘13, Anna Treesara ’13 and Nausheen Farishta ’11 won 2013–2014 Fulbright awards.
According to Bradley’s website, Bradley ranked sixth among universities of its type nationally in 2013–2014 for producing Fulbright students.
