Timothy Johnson of Milwaukee, WI, has been selected to receive a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Turkey for the 2007-2008 academic year. He will teach at Hacettepe University in Ankara. He anticipates lessons will extend beyond mere English conversation and grammar, as he hopes to expose his students to historical and contemporary issues in American society. He brings international experience teaching English because he served in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan for two years, where he taught English to sixth through eleventh graders.
Tim will complete his Master of Science in Political Science in the Community Development sequence in August 2007. He recently completed a yearlong internship working with the Milwaukee Housing Authority from August 2006 to July 2007. During this time, he taught computer and internet skills to low-income residents. He helped adult residents locate and apply for jobs, write resumes, and become more familiar with computers. Tim also assisted students with their homework in an after-school program and helped them learn more about computers. In addition, he organized income tax assistance at four different public housing developments.
With this graduate training in the classroom and in the community, as well as serving with the Peace Corps, Tim brings a wealth of experience and a passion to make a difference in the lives of others. Tim indicated that the Turkish people have one of the least favorable ratings of the United States of foreign countries and he hopes to change some minds in that regard. He will make an excellent ambassador for the United States as he embarks on his Fulbright ETA.
For more than 60 years, the federal government-sponsored Fulbright U.S. Student Program has provided future American leaders with an opportunity to study, conduct research, and teach in other countries. Fulbright student grants aim to increase mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchange while serving as a catalyst for long-term leadership development. Approximately 1,300 grants were awarded to over 140 countries worldwide.