Hannah Rodgers ’18 Awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship

Hannah Rodgers ’18, a biology and neuroscience double-major, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Nepal.
 
At Oberlin, Rodgers has participated in the Oberlin College Outings Club, Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, an instructor for Outdoor Adventure Skills and Rock Climbing classes within the Experimental College, Oberlin College Aerials, Oberlin Rock Climbing Club, Oberlin Community Services, Ninde Scholars Program, and the pottery co-op.

While Rodgers has never been to Nepal, she’s studied abroad and spent winter terms in Panama, Thailand, and Patagonia. The graduating senior says she particularly values living abroad in smaller villages because of the opportunity it presents to deeply engage in a local community.

During her assistantship, Evans will primarily be teaching English to students in rural Nepal. However, she also hopes to employ her passion for outdoor education and sustainable agriculture by incorporating English instruction outside of the classroom. She also plans to volunteer with a local group supporting agricultural development in Nepal.

Through the program, Rodgers looks forward to building her skills as an educator and also gaining insight into the area’s agricultural practices. “I want to help Nepali students master the English language skills necessary to broaden their range of opportunities and learn skills not available in their communities. I also hope to learn more about small-scale agriculture. Living in a community where agriculture is a part of daily life, as it is in most of rural Nepal, will teach me how young people in another culture connect to their food and environment,” says Rodgers.  

Following the assistantship, she hopes to pursue a career in promoting sustainable agriculture development worldwide. In the future, Rodgers plans to obtain a graduate degree in agricultural ecology with a focus on community and youth engagement.