Springfield, MO., April 21 2023 – Drury University is proud to announce Jack Corp ’22 and Destany L’Heureux ’23 were selected for the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Award. The fully funded program with a monthly stipend is sponsored by the Department of State and began in 1946 as a method of soft diplomacy by Arkansas Senator Fulbright. Both Jack and Destany are first-generation students.
On August 1, 2023, Jack will travel to Taiwan for 10 months to teach English. “I aim to gain insights into my character as an educator and to endear my students to the musical and narrative traditions of the United States,” Jack said in his application. “I want my students to find empowerment in their education.”
Jack is from Ozark, Missouri and holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and History and minors in Asian Studies and Medieval & Renaissance Studies.
Destany, whose application was selected from a pool of 850, will travel to Spain this September to teach English for nine months. She is from Peculiar, Missouri, and will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in Biology, Chemistry and Spanish, a minor in Psychology and a certificate in Professional & Visual Communication.
As she wrote in her application, Destany hopes to spend her time in Spain promoting mutual understanding between cultures and gaining useful experience for her future career in the health-care industry. “I hope to better understand the perceptions other cultures have about Americans. This will allow me to help mitigate misconceptions and understand how to better take care of my patients,” she wrote.
In the fall, Drury faculty and staff helped recommend students for the award. Students received feedback from a group of collaborative faculty and staff and were mentored by Faculty Fellow for National Scholarships, Dr. Shelley Wolbrink.
“It’s especially gratifying to see Drury students recognized at the national and international level,” said Wolbrink. “Drury students are strong mentors committed to cultural immersion and changing lives. Jack and Destany wrote incredibly thoughtful grant applications proving their collaborative leadership and commitment to the host country, community and local schools. Having two Drury finalists is a testament to our strong Fulbright core values of advocacy, service and education in an interconnected world.”
As a testament to Wolbrink’s leadership, Drury was recently selected as one of only 20 universities to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Development Initiative for 2023, out of a pool of 200 schools. This prestigious honor is the most comprehensive sponsored training opportunity available through the program, and it speaks to the exceptional quality of Wolbrink’s work and her dedication to promoting and supporting international education.
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Media Contact: Jasmine Cooper, Director of University Communications and Media Relations – (417) 873-7390 or JCooper020@drury.edu.