Recent Graduate Receives Fulbright Award

A recent graduate from Texas Tech University received a scholarship from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Zachary Haskin, a Wichita Falls native, will travel to Brazil to work as an English teaching assistant at a federal university from March to December 2014. He graduated in May with degrees in International Business and Spanish.

“We congratulate Zachary on this prestigious honor and are proud to have him represent Texas Tech University as he engages students in Brazil and collaborates with other students and researchers at an international level,” said Texas Tech President M. Duane Nellis. “Our students' successes in the classroom and fields of research should not go unnoticed. Moving forward we will diligently pursue on behalf of our students distinguished scholarship opportunities through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Rhodes, Udall, Truman, Goldwater and Marshall scholarship organizations.”

Haskin said teaching English in Brazil is a positive investment for his personal growth and development, especially as a graduate looking for international business experience.

“I enjoy teaching and thought it would be exciting to live in a different country and teach my native language,” Haskin said. “Fulbright does a fantastic job connecting its grantees with positions as English teaching assistants or researchers throughout the world.”

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards grants for individual research projects or for English Teaching Assistantships. During their grants, Fulbright recipients work and live with people from the host country.

“Fulbright has designed the program in a way that allows the grantees to share their culture while learning about the host country’s culture at the same time,” he said. “I look forward to teaching English and about American culture, but I am just as thrilled to develop my Portuguese and learn more about Brazil’s diverse culture.”

Haskin said after he attended a Fulbright presentation by Tanja Karp, Fulbright program advisor and associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, he knew he would apply.

“Zach put a lot of effort into his application,” Karp said. “He impressed the Texas Tech Fulbright Committee with his personal statement, as well as how he presented his chess experience as preparation for teaching. He was offered the opportunity to go to Brazil at a short notice and I am impressed that he jumped on it. He is a well-deserving candidate and will be an excellent representative of Texas Tech and the United States.”