Use Your Words

One of the programs making the sharing of language and culture its central mission is the Boren Fellowship. An initiative of the National Security Education Program (NSEP), the Boren provides funding for U.S. undergraduates to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to national interests, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East.

In the fall, Danitza Verano Roman, an international studies major, traveled to India as a Boren Fellow where she studied Hindi. For Verano Roman, who grew up in Peru, taking on another language is nothing new. Immigrating to the U.S. when she was 14, she knew almost no English when she arrived, but picked it up fluently in the past eight years.

As a first-generation college student, her journey to SU was a challenging one, enrolling just three years after arriving in the U.S. and still getting comfortable with the language. One of her primary reasons for coming to a mid-sized university like Salisbury was that she felt she could become part of a community and make connections, which was key in her Boren acceptance.

“One of the biggest things for me is to be able to help and give back to the community with everything that I was given,” she said, crediting friends and SU faculty like Dr. Kristen Walton, director of SU’s Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office, and Dr. Brittany Foutz, faculty in the Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution Department. “I wouldn’t be here getting all these opportunities if it wasn’t for professors, friends and people who helped and guided me.”

While in India, Roman studied the language and the educational system, particularly for women. She hopes to use what she has learned to help the U.S. build connections with India and encourage women to possibly attend SU and other U.S. colleges and universities through exchange programs or enrolling full time like she did.

Joining Roman abroad are two SU alumnae who are teaching English and experiencing cultures abroad as recipients of the 2023-24 U.S. Fulbright Student Award. Samantha Bartell ’22 (pictured left) is fulfilling her English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) award in Moldova. Hira Shahbaz ’20 (pictured below) is undertaking hers in Kazakhstan.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program aims to expand perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Its ETA Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to the local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.

“To be selected as a Fulbright Student is one of the most prestigious honors a student or recent graduate can achieve,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “Both Samantha and Hira were very accomplished students at SU, and both know the benefits of studying abroad.

“To be able to advance the education of others while experiencing cultures in other countries is a wonderful opportunity. We are proud of their achievements and look forward to what lies ahead for them.”

Bartell sees the award as an opportunity to help others, as she did as a member of SU’s Best Buddies, empowering meaningful friendships with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Girls on Top of the World, an all-girls community service organization.

“I believe in the importance of advocating for groups who are systematically and historically disadvantaged in education systems globally,” she said. “This means using my privilege of a quality education to ensure that future generations have equal opportunities and are empowered to pursue their own education.

“I want to connect specifically with Roma students and students with disabilities in Moldova, as they historically have been discriminated against within the education system. Moldova has worked hard to ensure quality and equality in its education system, and I would like to learn how it has done this while also learning about areas that could be improved.

“I believe that education opens the doors to opportunities for development and community connection, and I am excited to share the friendships and skills I learn in Modolva with peers in the U.S.”

Following her Fulbright experience, she plans to pursue a career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), focusing on international development and equal right in education.

Shahbaz hopes her experience will broaden her teaching background and allow her to learn more about the region.

“This Fulbright will allow me to further my teaching experience in an international and non-Western setting,” she said. “To prepare for a career in USAID’s education sector, I must gain exposure to different education systems through immersion and go beyond the limitations of analyzing texts and policy briefs.

“Due to my studies and background, I am well acquainted with the South Asian region, but wish to expand my knowledge into Central Asia. The state of education in Kazakhstan and the opportunities it can present are of the utmost importance, given that nearly a third of the nation’s population is younger than 15 and females constitute the majority population,” she added, noting that, despite the country’s growth as an economic powerhouse, challenges involving occupational mobility for education women remain.

Now pursuing her M.A. at Columbia University, Shahbaz earned several additional nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships during her time at SU, including the Boren fellowship and scholarship, Critical Language and Gilman scholarship. She also received the U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship as a student at Columbia. After her Fulbright experience, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in international educational development.

Bartell and Shahbaz were among 12 Fulbright Student semifinalists from SU this academic year. The Fulbright is America’s flagship international exchange program and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.