Oct. 11, 2007
By Anita Martin
Matthew Sanchez got a welcome surprise recently -- albeit a little late: He became Ohio University's ninth 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar.
The senior journalism student from Cincinnati, who majors in advertising management and minors in Spanish, will head to Argentina in March 2008 to teach English and conduct research on advertising related to Argentine basketball.
According to Beth Clodfelter, the university's director of U.S. Fulbright Programs and liaison for international partnerships, this award comes unusually late in the year because the Fulbright U.S. Student Program received unexpected additional funding from the U.S. Department of State in September. When that happens, program officers offer Fulbright scholarships to selected outstanding alternates, Clodfelter said.
Sanchez, whose father is from Mexico, grew up in a bilingual family, prompting an appreciation for the value of learning foreign languages.
"What really sparked my interest in teaching English as a foreign language was that when I was 19, I worked at my father's friend's Mexican restaurant. I would say 90 percent of the people I worked with had just recently come from Mexico, and a lot of them didn't speak any English," Sanchez said. "It was easy to see what advantages knowing English can have for people."
Sanchez provided English tutoring for his co-workers at the restaurant and found he really enjoyed it. More recently, in summer 2006, he earned his official certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
Sanchez previously studied abroad in Mexico. In addition to strengthening his teaching skills, he looks forward to exploring another Latin American culture. "I have a real passion for travel," he said. "This award is a great way to travel and further my education."
Fulbright Scholars who teach English in Argentina also must propose a research project. For his, Sanchez will study advertising patterns and strategies related to the Argentina National Basketball Team, champions of the 1998 Summer Olympic Games. Sanchez will complete his Fulbright teaching and research project during the 2008 summer Olympics.
"Matt did an excellent job of strengthening his qualifications before submitting his application," Clodfelter said. "His knowledge about TEFL methodology and approaches, and the classroom experience he gained in the program's supervised teaching practicum gave him a competitive advantage."
With this award, the official number of Ohio University 2007-08 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards rises to nine, which ties both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 competitions for the second highest total that Ohio University students have ever won.
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