Headed to the lush and tropical climate of Southeast Asia, one University of Miami School of Communication graduate is beginning the opportunity of a lifetime. Leah Danville, B.S.C. ’12, was recently awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant to Malaysia.
The Fulbright Scholars program is a prestigious grant pursued internationally by thousands of students each year. The English Teaching Assistantship gives college graduates the opportunity to travel abroad and teach English to students in other countries.
“I decided that I wanted to devote my first couple years out of college to developing a global mindset,” said Danville about her decision to apply for the program. She leaves in January.
Danville studied Public Relations and History at UM. She said she was inspired by the first lesson she learned in public relations class, “Think globally, act locally.”
“I have never traveled to Asia so I figured that if I truly wanted to develop a global mindset I should challenge myself to living somewhere I'd never been before,” she said.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Danville wants to help the Malaysian people and communities by teaching them a new language, but this opportunity also has the potential to advance her career in Public Relations. She’ll be putting into practice communicating the needs of different groups of people to the broader public — an important skill for anyone in PR.
Danville is setting big goals for herself in Asia. She hopes to impact the people and communities that she comes in contact with by being a good role model for her students, participating in wildlife conservation work, and leaving the Malaysian people with a positive understanding of the United States.
“I hope to connect personally with each of my Malaysian students to help them learn English in a way that best suits his or her learning style and make the language come alive," Danville said.
- Emily Young