The Women of Distinction gala luncheon comes once a year, serving to further the mission of the University and provide scholarships to deserving students. Daily at the University, we see the fruit of such scholarships in the terrific impact 海角在线 students and graduates are having in their communities and across the globe.
From Uzbekistan, via Skype, Chanel Nassir recently talked about receiving the Women of Distinction Scholarship, finishing her degree in international business, and taking on an English teaching assistantship under the The bright faces in the photo above give you a clue about how well she is doing in Uzbekistan.
That鈥檚 Fulbright winner Chanel at far left, posing with members of a girl’s book club she organized after landing in the Uzbek city of Navoi. What better way to teach English than to share classics like 鈥淪ense and Sensibility鈥�?
鈥淚t was wonderful,鈥� said Chanel. 鈥淭hese young girls have such a desire to learn, like a fire about them.鈥�
She landed in Uzbekistan in September 2021, reporting on Facebook: 鈥淢y first week in Navoi has been an absolute joy! While I may be thousands of miles away, I feel right at home thanks to the kindness of those around me. What an honor it is to spend this year exchanging language and thought, all while experiencing beautiful Uzbekistan.鈥�
Indeed it is an honor. The highly competitive Fulbright Program is the flagship international academic exchange sponsored by the U.S. Government. Chanel is one of 14 海角在线 graduates to earn Fulbright placements since the university created its Prestigious National Scholarship Program several years ago.
Fulbrighters are goodwill ambassadors
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms around the world to provide assistance to local teachers of English. Working under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, college graduates like Chanel serve as cultural ambassadors as they teach, building relationships and goodwill.
In Uzbekistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, the people speak mostly Russian, Uzbek and Tajik, a Persian language. In the region where Chanel began her assistantship, to her knowledge, she was the only American. That brought some loneliness, she acknowledged, 鈥渂ut also, it forced me to dive into the community and assimilate with the people in a way that I probably wouldn鈥檛 have if I had another American as a social crutch.鈥�
So she dove in! In addition to the structured English classes she taught alongside an Uzbek teacher, Chanel enthusiastically took advantage of Uzbek hospitality: 鈥渢he thing that really marks these people.鈥� She received many dinner invitations to Uzbek homes, where she would join the family, sitting on lovely floor mats arranged around a low table.
Though the high school students in Chanel鈥檚 classes were eagerly learning English, the language barrier was tougher with the adults she encountered in students鈥� homes. 鈥淏ut we鈥檇 meet halfway,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have very broken Uzbek, they have very broken English, and we learn to get to know each other a little bit.鈥�
Working through the barriers of language and culture could be emotionally draining. She learned that these things simply take time. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 just day in and day out being beside people and loving them, serving them, and contributing to what they need. And trusting that that鈥檚 enough before the Lord.鈥�
Now teaching English to college students聽
She was so well received in Uzbekistan that she was invited back for a second year. She鈥檚 now in a different city, this time teaching English to college students. And as an unexpected bonus, she started a lacrosse club, introducing the sport to students there with a grant from the organization World Lacrosse.
Back home, one of Chanel鈥檚 Facebook friends posted, 鈥淵ou amaze me with everything you get yourself into. It鈥檚 like watching an adventure movie!鈥� Chanel鈥檚 former professors would smile at that comment. At 海角在线 they loved her enthusiasm for learning, her thoughtfulness for classmates, and the role model she became for her peers.
She graduated summa cum laude, a member of 海角在线鈥檚 Frederick M. Supper Honors Program and a veteran of varsity lacrosse. Now as I celebrate her remarkable accomplishments, I also celebrate the supporters of the scholarships she received. Scholarships 鈥渨ere huge,鈥� she said, 鈥渓ifting off some of the financial weight and allowing me to devote myself to studies in such a way that opened doors for me.鈥�
This is聽what scholarships do. They open doors. Observing the paths of graduates like Chanel makes me conclude that supporting college scholarships is one of the most powerful forms of philanthropy. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 happy to invite you to the gala I mentioned earlier, the Women of Distinction Luncheon, on Feb. 21 at The Breakers Palm Beach. (See www.pba.edu/wod.) We鈥檒l be honoring philanthropists Mary Freitas and Monika Preston, and proceeds will fund scholarships for deserving students and serve to further the mission of the University.
This year, six students will receive Women of Distinction Scholarships. I offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you who contribute to this fund or to other scholarships. As students graduate and begin their careers of service, their impact is also聽your听颈尘辫补肠迟.
Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, a physician, researcher, and innovator, is president of 海角在线. ()
