SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College senior Nneka Mogbo, an intercultural studies major from Douglasville, Georgia, has been selected as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award.
Mogbo, who also is a Bonner Scholar at Wofford, doesn’t know exactly when or where she’ll be teaching yet. Initially, she was scheduled to begin in August in Algeria, but that program has been canceled for the fall of 2020 because of COVID-19, and she is awaiting word on her new ETA placement.
“I am very grateful for being selected as a Fulbright ETA finalist, but I’m still wrapping my head around the program being curtailed by COVID-19,” she says. “At the same time, there is positivity in every situation. My ETA award has not been canceled completely, and I can stay home with family in Atlanta and work for a few months. I also can use this time to connect with people in my industries of interest – international law, cultural diplomacy and music.”
Mogbo adds, “In my career, I want to create people-to-people ties through education, diplomacy and the arts. I knew Fulbright also would allow me to continue practicing French and Arabic while serving students. As an intercultural studies major and Arabic, Francophone Studies and business minor, I am uniquely capable of seeing connections between seemingly different cultures, industries and concepts. My Wofford education has equipped me with the skills and experiences needed – both domestically and internationally – to communicate the connections I see and why they are important, especially in law and diplomacy.”
She says her 10-month study abroad experience in Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates solidified her interest in working abroad, especially in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and West African regions.
Following her Fulbright ETA, whenever and wherever that may be, Mogbo plans to begin a master’s program in Arabic, then attend law school. “I believe the Fulbright will allow me to apply for more opportunities in the areas of cultural diplomacy, the arts and international law.”