Name: Brianna Zimmerman
Majors and minors while at UNL: Major in Global Studies; minors in Spanish, Business, and History
On and off campus involvement: I was involved with the campus ministry RUF, Reformed University Fellowship. I also volunteered at the People's City Mission and tutored with Lincoln Literacy during my college career.
Where are you currently located and describe your current duties as a Fulbright ETA.
I am located in Hyucheon, South Korea, at a small elementary school called Gumban Elementary School. I co-teach alongside the English teacher of the school as well as teach after-school programs. I teach 27 students in the elementary school. During the after-school program, I teach different aspects of American culture as well as create an environment for fun English learning. I teach 12 hours a week at the school, study Korean, plan lessons, and build relationships with my students throughout the work week.
Why did you apply for Fulbright? Why did you choose Korea?
During my college career, I set the goal to teach English in another country after graduation. I really want to experience more cultures and languages in my life and I saw Fulbright as a great opportunity. I also applied with Fulbright because of the opportunities to learn another language as well during my teaching career.
I chose Korea for multiple reasons. I studied Spanish in my undergrad and my regional specialization was in Europe. I really wanted to expand my experience beyond Europe by teaching in another part of the world. When I tutored through Lincoln Literacy, I worked with a woman from Korea and we were able to talk about history, culture, and current issues both between the United States and Korea. This really sparked my interest in learning more about Korea and the culture that it has.
My experience here in Korea has been life changing. The village that I live in has around 1,500 people. I have had many opportunities to connect with my community. The time that I have spent with my community consists of learning pungmul, Korean traditional music. It has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about the culture and the traditions that Korea has.
Living in a new part of the world comes with successes but also challenges and is undoubtedly rewarding. The people I have met through Fulbright, my school, and my village, have impacted me in a positive way in which I thrive to be a great English teacher as well as a cultural ambassador for the United States.
My advice to Global Studies majors is to start the application process earlier rather than later. I started the application process in August, which I do not really recommend for anyone. Also I encourage anyone that has a passion for teaching and learning another language to apply for Fulbright. Fulbright is an amazing opportunity to expand your skills in teaching as well as develop other professional skills that will help you reach your goals.
Apply to become a Fulbright Scholar: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/types-of-awards/english-teaching-assistant-awards