The English major will teach in Turkey and play Ultimate Frisbee.
Stephen Profeta '15 wants to experience an unfamiliar culture. As the recipient of a 2015-16 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, he will get to do just that as he lives and works in Turkey.
"I am a writing tutor and really appreciate the way in which you can connect with people through teaching, so I thought that teaching would be an ideal way of immersing myself into a community abroad," says the 21-year-old English major from New York City. "I am really interested in the Middle East. And Turkey is such a beautiful country, with a rich history. I thought it would be a great experience. I am mostly just excited to see what it's like to live in the country."
Profeta isn't sure where in Turkey he'll land for his assignment of teaching English to either university or primary school students. "I could be in a major city like Istanbul or Ankara or a small town in a rural part of the country," he says. Of course, the Syrian civil war is not far from Turkey's border with that country, but he doesn't expect to be near the conflict, given Turkey's size.
As part of his community outreach, Profeta plans to start a recreational club for the easy-going sport of Ultimate, an activity he has pursued here.
"Leading clinics and playing scrimmages would let me get to know my host community in an amiable and constructive setting outside the classroom," he wrote in his application.
