Fulbright Winner

Editor’s Note: In our last issue, we recognized students who had won national honors in spring 2007. Lauren Edwards should have been included in that list. We regret the omission.

In Paderborn, Germany, a small city near Cologne, Lauren Edwards BA ‘07 is using her Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to provide basic instruction in business English, marketing, and banking.

Edwards teaches at Berufskolleg Schloss Neuhaus. Many of her students are first-generation immigrants, ranging in age from 17 to their mid-30s, who don’t plan to attend the local university. Edwards’ classes are key to their future employability.

“Most students I work with have never met an American. Their entire image is based on movies, television, and news,” says Edwards, who majored in foreign languages. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked if I own a gun! Thankfully, I’m able to give my students new information and break down these stereotypes.”

The Fulbright grant covers her transportation, food, housing, and most living expenses, along with German medical insurance. Tuition-free lectures at the University of Paderborn help Edwards hone her German language skills, as does sharing an apartment with three German college students.

A Seattle native, Edwards studied in Munich during her junior year at Lewis & Clark. She’s considering a career in teaching or international law, but is keeping her options wide open–for now.

“Talking with my students about their lives in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Turkey has given me a new perspective,” she says. “They inspire me to accomplish more of the goals I’ve set for myself.”