Gordon College Senior Awarded Fulbright Scholarship Honor

By Jo Kadlecek 

When Sophia Buchanan graduated May 21 from Gordon, she was asked the question every senior gets asked: What are you doing after graduation? Buchanan’s good news is that she just won a Fulbright award for the 2011–2012 academic year.

Originally from Falmouth, Massachusetts, Buchanan—who majored in German at Gordon and minored in English—was awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany that will begin in September. A member of the Alpha Mu Gamma Language Honor Society and the Phi Alpha Chi Honor Society, Buchanan was also awarded the Dean’s Scholarship and Howe’s Scholarship. During her junior study year abroad at the University of Heidelberg, she taught English as a second language (ESL) as an intern at a high school in Heidelberg. She also taught ESL classes in Lynn, Massachusetts, through her undergraduate program.

“I am both nervous and thrilled about having been selected as a Fulbright ETA and can honestly say that I would never have had this kind of success without the academic and spiritual support I’ve received during my past four years here at Gordon College,” Buchanan said. “Without the encouragement of the faculty, staff and many friends, this honor would not be nearly as meaningful to me as their support has made it. I don’t know where the future will take me, but I know the compassionate scholarship modeled for me here at Gordon is a virtue I will carry with me into the world beyond this campus.”

While in Germany on her Fulbright, Buchanan will assist English teachers teaching English as a second language (ESL) as well as various aspects of American culture to German students. She also plans to pursue her love of music and help with the school band, choir rehearsals and musical productions. When Buchanan returns to the U.S., she hopes to attend graduate school.

Buchanan joins an esteemed list of Gordon students who have also received Fulbright honors. Past recipients include Emily Fisher, awarded a research grant to Norway in 2008; Mariska Bolyanatz, who served as an ETA to Mexico in 2007; Daniel Santimore with a research grant to Israel in 2007; Taryn Knerr and Lindsey Koditek as ETAs to Germany in 2007; in 2006 Kathryn Malczyk was an ETA to Germany.

The 2012–2013 U.S. Student Fulbright applications process officially began May 1, 2011. For more information contact Gordon’s Fulbright program advisor, Pamela Thuswaldner: [email protected].

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Gordon College is a multidenominational Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences on Boston’s North Shore, offering majors in 38 fields with graduate programs in education and music education. Gordon is nationally recognized for excellence in academics and in character building, and ranks as one of the nation’s top Christian colleges. www.gordon.edu

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