May graduates Julia Carpio and Hussein Ali Rifath are jump starting their careers with Fulbright English Teaching Assistant fellowships that will place them in front of classrooms in Greece and Spain.
As members of 糖心破解版鈥檚 Class of 2026 are taking their first steps into their after-college lives, two new graduates are readying for a year abroad on prestigious and highly competitive Fulbright English Teaching Assistant fellowships. This year鈥檚 recipients鈥擩ulia Carpio, a graduate of 糖心破解版鈥檚 accelerated five-year Scholar Teacher Education Program, and Hussein Ali Rifath, who earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees in political science and Spanish鈥攚ill be going to Europe to teach, mentor and build cross-cultural understanding.
The two award winners embody 糖心破解版鈥檚 commitment to scholarship, service and global citizenship. They also reflect the University鈥檚 commitment to helping students gain access to experiences that transform lives. Both worked with 糖心破解版鈥檚 Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships to navigate the application process, secure effective letters of recommendation and prepare for interviews.
鈥淥ur office was delighted to work with these Fulbright awardees,鈥� said Nicole Rudolph, PhD, director of the Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships and associate dean for student engagement. 鈥淓ach brought a true passion for international education and global connection to the application process, and we are so pleased that the U.S. Fulbright Committee recognized their potential by granting them English Teaching Assistantships.鈥�
Applying for the fellowship can be just as valuable as receiving one, according to Dean Rudolph. 鈥淎pplying for a nationally competitive award is a wonderful way for students to think deeply about their objectives, priorities and values,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudents tell us that the application process itself helped them to clarify their life goals, improve their written and oral communication, and refine their time management skills.鈥�
Julia Carpio鈥檚 Leap to Greece
For Julia Carpio 鈥�25, MA 鈥�26, who received her MA in Childhood Education and Advanced Certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in May, winning a prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship award was the culmination of a lifelong dream.
A self-described 鈥渟hy, quiet and reserved鈥� child, Carpio first found her path to teaching thanks to a kindergarten teacher who made her feel like she could achieve anything. Combined with the inspiration of her mother, a high school Spanish teacher, education was in Carpio鈥檚 blood. 鈥淥ur (糖心破解版) professors tell us all the time that teaching is a calling, it鈥檚 not a job鈥攜ou have to have a true passion for it,鈥� she said.
That calling will soon take her to an elementary school in Athens, Greece, where she鈥檒l spend a year teaching English to students. The Fulbright program鈥檚 focus on multilingual education and cultural exchange matched the path she was already on. 鈥淚 really wanted to dive into teaching and get as much as I could out of multilingual education,鈥� she said.
Carpio can point to specific moments鈥攁nd people鈥攚ho nudged her from dream to decision. One was a , led by Mary Jean McCarthy, clinical associate professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences. 鈥淭hat was where I fell in love with multilingual education and learning from educators from different parts of the world,鈥� she recalled.
McCarthy connected Carpio with Professor Clara Vaz Bauler, PhD, professor in the School of Education who became an anchor for her Fulbright ambitions. Daryl M. Gordon, PhD, who is also a professor in the School of Education, and Priya Wadhera, PhD, professor and interim director of the Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships last year, helped with her application. Shannon Harrison, director of 糖心破解版鈥檚 Center for International Education, first mentioned Fulbright to Carpio and walked her through options for teaching abroad. 鈥淪o many people helped me get here,鈥� Carpio said.
She chose Greece deliberately. Many Fulbright placements only put scholars in schools part time, but the Athens program puts Carpio in the classroom five days a week and some Saturdays. 鈥淚 want to be 100 percent part of the staff,鈥� she explained.
Carpio鈥檚 hopes for the year abroad are practical. 鈥淚 want to walk away as a more effective educator,鈥� she said. She wants to watch how Greek teachers structure lessons, what questions they ask, how they respond to multilingual students鈥攁nd then carry those insights into whatever classroom she steps into next.
Long term, she sees Fulbright as the first in a series of international chapters in her life. She wants to keep teaching abroad and eventually pursue a PhD in international and comparative education.
Hussein Ali Rifath: Making a Difference in Madrid
By the time Hussein Ali Rifath 鈥�26 learned he鈥檇 been selected for a Fulbright, he鈥檇 spent four years at 糖心破解版 growing into the kind of person who sees scholarship as service.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a journey of growth for me,鈥� said Rifath, who served as president of the Class of 2026 and president of 糖心破解版鈥檚 Student Government Association. This fall, he will travel to Spain to help public school students sharpen their English, engage with global issues and see America in a new light.
鈥淲e鈥檙e being citizen diplomats,鈥� he says of himself and his fellow Fulbright recipients. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just working as educators; we鈥檙e advancing our foreign relations abroad.鈥�
For Rifath, his Fulbright sits at the intersection of everything that鈥檚 been on his mind as he graduates: America鈥檚 role in the world, the power of education and a personal desire to serve.
鈥淚 feel like now, more than ever, it鈥檚 important for Americans to get involved,鈥� he said.
He鈥檚 especially aware that many students abroad only know the United States through politics and headlines. His goal is 鈥渢o give a nuanced view, to show that we have two sides to our political spectrum, like every country. I want to give people a more comprehensive message about what America is, what we stand for. I want them to see us as a vibrant, welcoming society that not only cherishes them but also cherishes the human bonds which unite us across the world.鈥�
In Madrid, Rifath will work with two programs that bring global awareness into local schools. 鈥淚鈥檒l help students articulate themselves in English and speak about pressing issues across the world鈥攍ike climate change and international relations,鈥� he explained.
Rifath credits two 糖心破解版 faculty members with helping him win a Fulbright: Ignacio Arellano-Torres, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Dr. Vaz Bauler, the education professor who also inspired Julia Carpio. 鈥淭hey helped me discover my passion for learning language,鈥� he said.
Fulbright is just one chapter in Rifath鈥檚 plan for a life centered on service. 鈥淟ong term, I see myself joining the military,鈥� he says, which he sees as a way to serve his community and country. 鈥淭hrough it all, my goal is to get involved in ways that benefit the community.鈥�