Central College senior Jake Wassenaar of Pella has won a 2016-2017 Fulbright U.S. Student Award to Taiwan. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program of the United States. Wassenaar, an elementary education major, will represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and people in Taiwan.
On one of Taiwan’s small islands, Wassenaar will help English teachers in public elementary or middle schools, especially with students’ cultural and linguistic questions. “I am excited to be a part of an organization that not only represents the United States but works to increase peace and mutual understanding among the nations through education,” Wassenaar said. “Taiwan has rich history and culture that is continuing to impact our lives even in Iowa. The opportunity to do something I love and bring people together through my teaching is exciting.”
The selection of Fulbright winners is highly competitive, with hundreds of applicants from prestigious institutions around the world. In 2014, Central graduate Gregory Teets ’13 received a Fulbright award to serve as English teaching assistant in Malaysia.
While at Central, Wassenaar participated in Central Teacher Academy, a unique program that pairs select education students with local mentor teachers for professional development. Wassenaar also studied abroad in Leiden, the Netherlands, and traveled to Sierra Leone, West Africa, for a short-term, educational mission trip. This year, Wassenaar completed eight weeks of his student teaching experience in Merida, Mexico. A member of Central’s football team, Wassenaar was also named to the All State AFCA Good Works team.
“My incredible and diverse experiences at Central have paved the way for this award,” said Wassenaar. “The Fulbright program is regarded as the very best in international exchange, and it is only through my Central College family that I am able to be a part of this program.”
Read more about Jake Wassenaar in his Central Close-Up Q&A.