Anthropology Major Awarded Fulbright Grant to Teach in Taiwan

WORCESTER, Mass. – Catherine Turner, a member of the College of the Holy Cross Class of 2008, has been awarded a Fulbright Grant to work as a teaching assistant in Taiwan.

Turner, an anthropology major with an Asian studies concentration from Pleasantville, New York, will be teaching English in Yilan County, Taiwan.

In addition, Turner hopes to improve her Chinese skills.  She has been taking classes since her sophomore year and studied abroad in Beijing her junior year.

On campus, Turner is a member of the Relationship Peer Educators (RPEs), a group of students who have been trained to provide preventive and developmental education to the Holy Cross community on issues of sexual assault, violence, harassment, and the promotion of healthy relationships. She is also involved with Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), a student-run community service organization, as a nursing home volunteer.

When she returns to the U.S., Turner hopes to work for an international non-profit company as well as further her exploration of Asia.

Each year approximately 1,000 college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants — chosen for their leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.