Keane Observations

Landing a teaching assistantship is a big deal for any student who plans to educate future generations to be great leaders. But winning a Fulbright Scholarship teaching assistantship is an even bigger deal, as Georgia Southern University Honors Program alumna Kelsey Keane (’14) can tell you.

Keane was awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship recently and will spend the 2014-2015 academic year teaching in Kosovo.

“By serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Kosovo, I hope to invest in the future of Kosovo, working with students who will one day lead their communities,” said Keane. “I believe that words are our most powerful tool. Given the predominance of the English language in global media, my work will help Kosovar youth tell their stories and take control of their narratives.”

This won’t be the first trip to the Balkans for Keane, but the third. She first traveled to the region in high school, which left a lasting impact on her, especially because of the war-torn landscape and children growing up in that environment. Keane was even more impacted on her second trip, when she traveled with the University Honors Program study abroad trip.

This time around she is even more excited. Not only will she have the opportunity to teach, but Keane will also have the opportunity to pursue a research or outreach project during her time there. She hopes to work with one of many agencies focusing on development in the area.

“I cannot wait to work with students there,” Keane said. “My time will be spent rotating between different middle schools or high schools as a supplemental English teacher. My job will be to provide fun and innovative methods for students to learn English as a second language.”

And Keane won’t stop teaching others and learning for herself after her teaching assistantship is over. She’ll continue her education by pursuing graduate work in international development practices, and has the ultimate goal of earning her Ph.D. – Crissie Elrick