Global Movement: GSE Alum Travels to Mexico as Fulbright Award Winner
Be supportive, create safe spaces, and foster a positive environment. Those are the kinds of teaching philosophies that Alyssa McKendry plans to bring to her classroom.
Alyssa felt like a whole new world opened up to her while learning Spanish. She fell in love with the language and began contemplating how to capture and share these experiences with others.
“It was completely new to me,” Alyssa said. “I wanted to feel the excitement that I felt not just from learning a whole new language, but what you can do with it, how you can communicate, and all the wonderful people you can meet and learn from through learning a language like Spanish.”
After witnessing an injustice of favoritism by her high school chemistry teacher, Alyssa intervened to ensure her classmate had the opportunity to complete extra credit work and improve her grade. Left with a desire to establish a more supportive learning environment, Alyssa had a moment of clarity: she wanted to teach.
Alyssa studied Spanish as an undergrad at Rutgers University, but eventually wanted to travel abroad. The Master’s in Language Education program at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) offered this path for her. She felt drawn to the well-respected master’s program after taking the “Introduction to Education” class at the GSE during her sophomore year.
The Class of 2024 Master’s in Language Education cohort remained Alyssa’s rock during her time at the GSE. Alyssa emphasizes the cohort made her “stronger, well-rounded, and a warmer, more compassionate person and teacher.”
“The Language Education program gave me the practical experience I was looking for,” Alyssa said. “Being in the classroom and building positive relationships was life changing.”
She achieved her goal of studying abroad when she took the “Community-Based Education in Yucatán” program at the GSE under the guidance of Dr. Mary Curran, Director of Local-Global Partnerships and Professor of Practice in Language Education at the GSE.
“We were able to see what the schools looked like, how people learn there, and draw comparisons to schools in the US,” Alyssa said.
Inspired by the similarities and differences between life in Mexico and where she currently resides in New Brunswick, NJ, Alyssa began to think about becoming an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and teaching English abroad.
“I wanted to gain more experience and a larger world view, not only by teaching English, but learning how people live, communicate, and develop cultures,” Alyssa stated.
Last year, Alyssa started teaching ESL in the Franklin Township School District. She worked with a Cooperating Teacher (CT), who took her under her wing and mentored her. In Alyssa’s eyes, her CT was “the pinnacle of ESL teaching.”
“It felt like everybody in the classroom was excited to be there and learn,” Alyssa said. “For the first time, I felt settled and grounded, truly ready — after all my schooling and teaching — to be a teacher.”
Alyssa later learned about the Fulbright award program through Dr. Curran, a former Fulbright winner herself. Dr. Curran referred her to the Office of Distinguished Fellowships and later wrote a recommendation letter for Alyssa’s application to the program.
After so many months of hard work, Alyssa received the news: she was a Fulbright winner.
As a Fulbright scholar, Alyssa will be traveling to Yucatán, Mexico, the same place that sparked her longing to “be a sponge.” While there, she plans to soak up as much experience as possible, teaching English at a technology institute for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Alyssa said the GSE shaped her to be the educator she wanted growing up. She plans to use her education to inspire minds, change the future, and continue to learn from her experiences as a teacher.