Doane College has added three new Fulbright Scholars to its long tradition with the Fulbright program, dating back to 1952.
Two Doane students and a 2008 graduate were recently awarded the prestigious competitive scholarships. To date, 52 Doane students have successfully completed the Fulbright process since the program's inception in 1946.
Graduating senior Audrey Brydl-Andrews, an elementary education/Spanish major, will spend the next academic year teaching English as a second language in an elementary school in Spain. Graduating senior Mike Guericke, a chemistry /German major, will conduct research in chemistry at the University of Heidelberg for his Fulbright project. Additionally, Rachel Rasmussen, Class of 2008, successfully applied as an at-large candidate, receiving a Fulbright to teach English in Germany in 2009-2010.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. It's designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."
Mike
Mike Guericke was a first-year student when Professor Peter Reinkordt started talking to him about the Fulbright program.
Only seniors can apply, but Reinkordt wanted to give him a goal.
Four years later, Guericke achieved that goal and will return as a Fulbright Scholar to the country where he was born. His family lived in Germany during his father's service in the U.S. Air Force. They moved to Bellevue, Nebraska, when Guericke was 2-years-old.
He knew by kindergarten that he wanted to be a scientist and knew by high school that he would be a chemist.
Guericke had the same certainty about Doane. He first came to campus as a high-school competitor in the annual TriMATHlon contest.
"I walked around campus and knew I wanted to go here," he said.
After meeting with Reinkordt, a professor of German and a member of the Fulbright advisory committee, he decided to enroll as a double major in chemistry and German .
His college years were defined by research. When he wasn't in class, he was most likely in the laboratories of the Lied Science and Mathematics Building, where he averaged three hours a day during the school year and 40-60 hours a week in the summer.
He was part of a team of students who worked with Dr. Andrea Holmes to develop chemical sensors that change color in the presence of abused narcotics in a liquid or other substance - a research program awarded a $525,000 competitive grant from the National Science Foundation.
Guericke then delved into researching the chirality of molecules and DNA strands' binding concepts.
Guericke is grateful for every hour in the lab and the hands-on experience it gave him.
"Because of all that time, I know what I'm doing in a lab now."
Holmes and Chemistry Post-doctoral Fellow Dr. Kerry Lucas helped him not only with chemistry knowledge but revisions of his Fulbright application.
As a Fulbright, Guericke will conduct DNA research at the University of Heidelberg, beginning in September. The placement fits perfectly with his background, which also includes a semester abroad studying at the Goethe-Institut in Freiburg/B, Germany.
Eventually, Guericke plans to earn a doctorate in chemistry and work in academia, with a strong emphasis on research.
For him, college clarified what he has known since childhood.
"I just like sitting in a lab and figuring things out."
Audrey
In her years at Doane, Audrey Brydl-Andrews spent as much time off campus as on, completing numerous opportunities to study and teach abroad.
She studied abroad in Granada, Spain, for a semester. She spent two January interterms in Bangkok, Thailand, teaching English at a private school owned by a Doane graduate.
She then spent a summer in Panama City, Panama, teaching English at two grade schools, before returning to Panama to give a presentation on teaching methods at the invitation of an international education conference.
All were opportunities she couldn't have imagined when she enrolled in college. The Seward native began her education at Southeast Community College in Lincoln. When she chose education as her major, Doane's reputation in teacher education drew her to Doane to earn a degree in elementary education and Spanish, with certification in English Language Learning.
At Doane, professors urged her to take advantage of the travel opportunities and one trip led to another and to her interest in teaching English Language Learners.
"ELL is my favorite. That's what's so exciting about the Fulbright, I'll be teaching English while perfecting my Spanish," she said.
She has as much experience teaching as traveling. Brydl-Andrews worked with after-school programs at two Lincoln elementary schools for nearly four years. This semester, she is also completing student teaching experience at Clinton Elementary in Lincoln.
She will spend about nine months teaching the English language in Spain during her time as a Fulbright. When she returns, she plans to earn her master's degree and teach at a dual-language school.
Rachel
Plattsmouth native Rachel Rasmussen graduated from Doane in 2008 with a bachelor of arts in history and Spanish. She spent the summer following commencement studying at the Goethe Institute in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, to complete a minor in German. Doing so not only helped her chances of earning a Fulbright, but also filled a requirement for graduate studies in international relations.
Someday, she wants a career in International Relations, possibly working abroad as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department.
For now, she is looking forward to her Fulbright assignment as an English teaching assistant in Germany, helping students improve their English speaking abilities while sharing American culture and history.
Teaching is what originally drew her to Doane, enrolling in the teacher education program. Even though her major changed, Doane was the right choice, she said.
Looking back as a student and now a graduate, Doane's community feel and supportive staff and faculty were a perfect fit.
"If I ever had a problem, I could find someone who could assist me."
Connections with faculty, staff and students lasted throughout college and beyond.
"I still can ask professors for help and advice."
Their guidance was crucial in earning the Fulbright, she said.