Sarah Chevallier (’10, Political Science & Spanish)
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

I'm hoping to use my time in the classroom to better comprehend the successes and challenges of education in Nepal, and to complement that with my research [of the Nepalese education system] in order to come to a clearer understanding of what Nepalese people expect of their educational system, and how different schools address and meet those expectations.

This Fulbright is a dream come true for me, as I intend to pursue a career in education policy, focusing primarily on developing and post-conflict societies.

David Marzban (’11, International Business)
Taiwan

Through Pepperdine's inaugural International Program in Shanghai during the 2008-2009 academic year, I was exposed to East Asia and became fascinated with China's culture and rise as a superpower on the world stage. In January 2010, as a Gilman Scholar, I was invited to participate in a panel hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama to highlight President Obama's "100,000 Strong Initiative" to send 100,000 American students to China for the purpose of creating deeper, cultural bonds and making Americans stronger at an international level. This panel was held especially with respect to President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington DC.

As an ETA and while researching cross-strait relations between mainland China and Taiwan, I hope to arrive at a deeper understanding about the rich history of Taiwan and China and see how my future can be a part of it. I plan to attend law school; I would like my career to do good for others at an international level of influence.

Lisa Porter (’11, English)
Korea

Fulbright asks us to get involved in the community and run a sort of after school program; what I have in mind is a creative writing/drama class that focuses on giving students voices to their own stories. Our world is made up of stories and no one person's story is too little to impact another life, or teach a lesson, or give inspiration.

I am actually a quarter Korean (although I don't look like it!); my grandmother is from North Korea and my mother was born there before she and her family moved out of Korea. My grandma's incredible life story has always intrigued, inspired, and taught me. Having been exposed to Korean culture and some traditions growing up, it only increased my desire to discover more about my heritage and continue my own life story through this Fulbright opportunity.

Ashley Watson (’11, Intercultural Communication)
Malaysia

I am looking forward to the overall experience of delving into a culture. Malaysia has a large Chinese population; it shares its borders with Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Although Islam is the official religion, there are Christian churches as well as Buddhists and Hindu temples. People speak Malay, Chinese, Punjabi, 3 of the major Dravidian languages and Thai. There is such an array of highly developed cultures co-existing in Malaysia. As an Intercultural Communication major, this amazes me.

Many people I will interact with have never met a foreigner and base their perceptions on the media. The greatest honor and also the greatest challenge is to be a good ambassador for the United States.

Elizabeth White (’11, International Studies)
Korea

I plan on implementing a cultural exchange between my Korean students and an American high school, where each week the classrooms will exchange themed cultural lessons via youtube and/or letters on topics such as sports, food, holidays, etc. I'm really excited for a full cultural immersion in a culture that is completely different than my own; I can't wait to be placed out of my comfort zone, to taste new food, and to live in a home-stay. I also can't wait to meet my students!

I hope to serve as a positive cultural ambassador for the United States while learning about a culture different than my own. I would like to attend grad school after my time in Korea in order to further study global media and communications. I am fascinated by the transfer of culture via the media and would love to study it more. After that, time will only tell!