Traveling overseas for public service is not something that Johnson is unfamiliar with, having spent time in Kyrgyzstan with the Peace Corps, teaching English to sixth through 11th graders. Johnson believes this time served him well for the journey he is about to undertake. "I learned a lot about what I wanted to do when I was with the Peace Corps," Johnson said. When he returns, Johnson hopes to continue his diligent pursuit of bringing education to those who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to receive it. He plans on working with Teach For America, a non-profit organization whose mission is to close the academic achievement gap between children from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Kyrgyzstan RPCV Timothy Johnson to travel to Turkey to teach English as a second language on Fulbright Fellowship
ISU grad student nabs prestigious scholarship
Alex Lawson
Issue date: 8/20/07 Section: News
The ISU Honors Program selected graduate student Timothy Johnson as the recipient for a prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for the upcoming school year.
The Fulbright is intended for graduate students who intend to teach in foreign countries.
Johnson will travel to Turkey to teach English as a second language.
Traveling overseas for public service is not something that Johnson is unfamiliar with, having spent time in Kyrgyzstan with the Peace Corps, teaching English to sixth through 11th graders.
Johnson believes this time served him well for the journey he is about to undertake.
"I learned a lot about what I wanted to do when I was with the Peace Corps," Johnson said.
Johnson will be teaching nine hours a week at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. "I'll be doing English as a second language mostly in the realm of speech and composition."
Teaching is something that Johnson considers an invaluable part of foreign aid.
"I deal well with people and if you look at people in developing countries, you can see the way things are going as a whole. You can give money or aid, but that can be squandered. You cannot squander an education. No one should ever deny you an education," Johnson said.
The Fulbright U.S. student program has provided the opportunity for students who wish to study, conduct research or teach in other countries for over 60 years. It is offered only to those who have completed a college degree and are pursuing post-graduate work.
The prestige and importance of the scholarship is unquestioned. Becky Mentzer, assistant director of the Honors Program, makes it clear that it holds a high place in the world of academia.
"It was created in 1946 to foster good relations between countries after the war," Mentzer said. "It's continued to increase mutual understanding. It's a peaceful diplomacy opportunity."
Johnson made a very strong impression on Mentzer during his application process.
"I was impressed with this young man and that he had already established such a love of foreign service. He was very sincere and thoughtful when I met with him," Mentzer said. "It wasn't, 'Gee I need a scholarship so it will look good and I can go backpacking'."
Despite this, Johnson was not automatically a shoe-in for the Fulbright.
"I wasn't awarded it initially. I was listed as an alternate and I thought there was no way I'd get it," Johnson said. "Then through some set of circumstances, someone couldn't accept it and they gave it to me. I was just smiling and ecstatic."
Though his official job description will be to teach composition and speech, Johnson also hopes to expose his students to historical and contemporary events in American society.
When he returns, Johnson hopes to continue his diligent pursuit of bringing education to those who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to receive it.
He plans on working with Teach For America, a non-profit organization whose mission is to close the academic achievement gap between children from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Johnson joins very prestigious company as a Fulbright Scholar. Past winners have included poet Sylvia Plath, author Joseph Heller and actor John Lithgow.
