NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Eunice Yu, a student in The College of New Rochelle (CNR) Graduate School, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to South Korea in the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 370,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.
Yu, who will complete a master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling at CNR in August, is one of more than 1,900 U.S. citizens who will conduct research, teach English, and provide expertise abroad for the 2017-2018 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. As part of teaching English, Yu, who also holds a bachelor of fine arts in photography from Temple University, will encourage intercultural awareness with the integration of photography and art. While in South Korea, she will also pursue a personal documentary photography project, capturing the essence and culture of adolescents in South Korea as a way to understand their academic, mental and emotional development.
“As a U.S. born Korean-American, I only have a rudimentary understanding of the Korean culture, such as their education philosophy, customs, and traditions,” said Yu. “Most of what I know is assumed or researched, but not personally experienced. The ETA is an ideal opportunity to integrate into a Korean community, be a part of students’ academic and multi-cultural growth, and embrace their culture through firsthand experience.”
This year, Fulbright Korea includes 69 English Teaching Assistants who will be placed throughout South Korea. After a six-week orientation program, Yu will be assigned to a school in Changwon, the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do on the southeast coast of South Korea. When she returns to the U.S., Yu plans to work as an art therapist with Asian-American or Asian immigrant children & adolescents in after-school settings.
“The selection of Eunice for this prestigious award is reflective of the academic caliber of our students in the Art Therapy and Counseling program and across the graduate school. It also illustrates the passion, creativity, and professionalism our graduates bring to their chosen fields,” said Dr. David Donnelly, dean of the Graduate School.
Upon completion of the program, Yu will join other Fulbright alumni, many of whom have achieved distinction in numerous fields, including 57 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 82 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.