February 01, 2012

Going global

Students talk about how Lewis & Clark fulfilled their passion for international experiences.

At Lewis & Clark, students prepare for lives of global engagement. The majority of our undergraduates seize the opportunity to participate in our Overseas and Off-Campus Programs, where they immerse themselves in new cultures and explore history and contemporary issues. Our international students, who leave their countries of origin to enroll at Lewis & Clark, bring new perspectives and cultural diversity to our classrooms and campus community.

After graduation, students often continue their global pursuits. Many of our alumni go on to join the Peace Corps and Lewis & Clark is consistently listed in the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the top producers of Fulbright award winners. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program provides grants for graduate study and research or for teaching abroad.

Since 2008, 35 Lewis & Clark students have received Fulbright awards. Below, recent recipients reflect on how Lewis & Clark prepared them to be international citizens. 

Logan Robertson ’11

Hometown: Madison, WI | Major: foreign languages
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Russia

I was lucky to spend my first two years at Lewis & Clark living in Akin, the international dorm, where I was exposed to peers from all around the globe on a daily basis. My time there, and in language classes, helped make the world a much smaller, friendlier place. Suddenly, a trip to Tajikistan or the Ukraine was not an exotic voyage, but simply dropping by a good friend’s home. This international network of friends has already been a wonderful addition to my life and is one I plan to continue fostering throughout my lifetime.

 

Andrew Lyle ’11

Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska | Major: English
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany

I really appreciate Lewis & Clark’s emphasis on studying abroad. It is almost a given that Lewis & Clark students will go abroad for at least one semester during their studies. I don’t think I would have been so eager to go to Munich had I not been exposed to that sentiment from the beginning of my first year. This attitude has encouraged me to see myself as entirely capable of living and working abroad, which is something I was certainly hesitant about a few years ago.

 

Emily Nguyen ’11

Hometown: Portland, Oregon | Major: environmental studies
Award: Fulbright Research Fellowship in Vietnam

Lewis & Clark’s Environmental Studies Program trains students to be adept in a method called situated research. Part of our situated research training included exploring critical environmental problems and solutions in six international sites. The ENVS program has undoubtedly been a strong component in my development as a citizen of the global community. Additionally, my study abroad experience in India provided me numerous opportunities to engage with local communities and organizations.

 

Luke Rodeheffer ’11

Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota | Major: foreign languages and literatures
Award: Fulbright Research Fellowship to Kiev, Ukraine

Lewis & Clark offers wonderful course programs in German and Russian, which I took full advantage of during my time here as a student. I also enjoyed learning from and befriending language assistants in college and gaining from their life experiences, which made me very interested in pursuing history further.

 

Margaret Williams ’11

Hometown: Rockport, Maine | Major: international affairs
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assitantship in Russia

My time at Lewis & Clark helped me find my academic passions and endowed me with the knowledge and skills I will need to achieve my future ambitions. I think learning foreign languages fosters better cross-cultural understanding. As a student of international relations, I was very interested in creating pathways that enable productive dialogue among states, and I believe that languages are key in this goal. I spent the fall of my junior year studying in St. Petersburg, Russia, which was one of my most challenging yet rewarding experiences. I was placed far outside my comfort zone, but by the end I had gained a deep appreciation for cross-cultural understanding.

 

Jacob Owens ’11

Hometown: Corvallis, Oregon | Major: international affairs and mathematics
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in South Korea

My past four years here at Lewis & Clark College have enabled me to pursue my two passions: mathematics and international human rights. Though I am aware how distinct these two concentrations are from one another, both are paramount interests of mine that have driven much of my academic career and continue to drive my professional ambitions. Using my double major of international affairs and mathematics, I intend to find (or create) a career in mathematical education reform or international human rights politics. The analytical tools gained by my education here, my relentless dedication to my work, and my zeal for political activism will continue to shape my future in ways unknown, but my time at Lewis & Clark has prepared me for whatever lies ahead.