Friday, May 30, 2025
student smiling

Katie Mathew (BA English & creative writing ’24) is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA) to Germany for 2025-26. 

Hometown: Middlebury, Indiana 

Could you give us a brief synopsis of what you'll be doing with your Fulbright? 
I will be serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Germany. In addition to classroom teaching, I plan to lead creative writing workshops and continue playing the pipe organ at a local church. 

How do you envision this will influence your life/future career? 
I’ve decided to pursue a career as an English or English language teacher, and this experience will allow me to explore teaching in a meaningful way while immersing myself in a new culture and language. 

What advice do you have for students interested in applying for a Fulbright? 
Choose your country thoughtfully. Applying to a place that holds personal significance will make your application more authentic and distinctive. 

Were there experiences at Iowa that inspired you to pursue a Fulbright? 
Yes—through courses at Iowa, I participated in the Conversation Center and the Iowa Youth Writing Project. While teaching writing lessons at Iowa City High School, I met a teacher who had been an ETA in Germany, and that encounter helped inspire my application. 

Are there individuals you'd like to thank for their investment in this process? 
First and foremost, I’d like to thank Karen Wachsmuth and Sylvia Dean for their incredible support, especially Sylvia, who provided invaluable help with my essays. I’m also deeply grateful to Brayan Salinas, Professor Kathleen Paltrineri, and Dr. Tawny Tibbits for writing letters of recommendation, and to Professor Bruce Nottingham-Spencer for assisting with the language assessment. I couldn’t have done it without their encouragement and guidance. 

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International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.