Two graduates earn Fulbright awards to teach abroad

August 20, 2024 (Volume 47, Number 21)
Article by Thomas Garrett

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Faith Kidd, left, and Quinn Hefferan Nordlund each earned Fulbright awards to teach abroad.

Two recent GVSU graduates have earned awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and will travel, respectively, to Spain and Austria to teach young students.

Faith Kidd
Faith Kidd ’23 earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government with a minor in international business. She will travel to Madrid, Spain, in September to teach English to high school students and assist them with their model United Nations competition group.

“I fell in love with teaching after tutoring college-level humanities and biology. The enjoyment of assisting a student was infectious,” said Kidd.

Kidd said the Fulbright application process took more than six months and included several essays, transcripts, three references and a history of research projects and employment.

She said the Fulbright review process is slow and thorough. Kidd had even started applying to another program for fear of not being accepted into the Fulbright program.

“My timeline was shrinking, and I was going to travel to work in Spain no matter what. I was applying for my visa, selling my stuff, saving money bartending — it was going to happen,” said Kidd.

Kidd found an apartment in Spain and then learned she was accepted into the Fulbright program. After speaking with a program advisor, Kidd learned the school she was teaching at was just a short train ride from her apartment.

“It all came together quite miraculously, but I think that was because I used my resources, I asked people for help and they were there for me,” she said.

Kidd said Brenda Tooley, associate director for the Center for Undergraduate Scholar Engagement, was instrumental in assisting her during the application process. 

“Brenda was like my right hand, helping shape all of my essays to represent what I can truly do, and helping guide me through the daunting application process, she was my greatest resource,” said Kidd.

Quinn Hefferan Nordlund 
Quinn Hefferan Nordlund graduated in April with a double major in international relations and German. In September she will travel to Althofen, Austria, where she will teach English to students through the United States Teaching Assistantship program, a joint program between the Austrian Ministry of Education and the Fulbright Commission in Austria.

Hefferan Nordlund traveled to Munich during her junior year at GVSU to study abroad and enhance her German skills. She began studying German because of a family connection but her language study has since expanded into a career goal.

“I became very passionate about Europe, progressive politics and social policies. I hope this trip will continue to expose me to this culture and prepare me for my career in politics,” said Hefferan Nordlund.

Last fall, Hefferan Nordlund worked as an intern for U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. After her fellowship in Austria, she plans to enroll in the University of Michigan master’s program in public policy with a concentration in social policy.

“It was very exciting to apply for this Fulbright teaching assistantship. It took consulting with Brenda, who was an amazing resource, as well as communicating with the program director in Austria and my host teachers,” said Hefferan Nordlund. “Using the resources offered to me allowed this opportunity to become feasible.”

Tooley said she enjoyed working with Kidd and Hefferan Nordlund as they explored connecting their degrees to their career plans and personal interests.  

“Their engagement with the process of seeking out fellowships, writing and revising their essays, and their excitement about opportunities for high-impact next steps beyond graduation are just the qualities that open doors to fellowship awards,” said Tooley. 

For more information about fellowships, visit the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships.

— Thomas Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in writing from GVSU in April.

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