In an impressive close to her undergraduate career, Kent State University Honors College senior Mallory Woods, ’22, was recently awarded the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Award (ETA). A native of Fairview, Pennsylvania, Woods is completing a major in translation with a Spanish concentration and minors in economics and Italian studies while also finishing a certificate program in teaching English as a foreign language.
“I was extremely excited to learn that Mallory was the recipient of an English Teaching Assistant Fulbright to Ecuador,” said Frank Congin, director of academic programs for Kent State’s Honors College and the university’s Fulbright program advisor. “She will be an excellent representative of not only Kent State University in Ecuador but of the United States, which is one of the program’s key tenets: public diplomacy.”
Through the Fulbright grant, Woods will work as an English teaching assistant in Ecuador from September 2022 through June 2023.
“I was very intrigued by the opportunity to live abroad and teach English, especially after studying abroad,” Woods said. “After researching the Fulbright ETA opportunities, I felt that my interests and academic background were well aligned with Ecuador’s program description.”
As an undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State who is currently studying in Florence, Italy, Woods acknowledges that her many education abroad experiences in Israel, Palestine, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Spain and Italy have been fundamental in improving her language skills and multicultural competence. Her education abroad experiences did not diminish her extensive involvement on campus, however. Woods easily transitioned into college with acceptance into the Provost’s Leadership Academy and the Honors College Leadership Academy during her freshman year. While maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA and an active life on campus, her accolades have continued over the course of her collegiate career, including induction into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, and inclusion on the President’s List. Woods is a student member of the American Translators Association. She also participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program and served on the Honors College Senatorial Committee.
While Fulbright offers a variety of grant opportunities in more than 140 countries, Woods was included as one of a select few to receive a Fulbright Scholarship in the country of Ecuador.
“I am beyond excited to move to Ecuador and still can’t believe this is actually happening,” Woods said of her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “This program has been a dream of mine for so long, and I feel so grateful for the opportunities I have been offered as an undergrad that have prepared me for this experience. I am really looking forward to using my Spanish as much as possible and learning more about Ecuador’s education system.”