Vida's Fulbright year spent in Deutschland
A 1999 graduate of Shelton High School is on the road again after learning she has received a Fulbright Scholarship. Vida Long graduated last May from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, with a double major in sociology and German studies. Upon her receipt of the scholarship she received a position teaching English to German teenagers. Created by the U.S. after World War II at the suggestion of LJ.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, the scholarship program works to foster a better understanding among people throughout the world. Recipients get money for travel and a modest monthly salary for a period of one year in a variety of fields of study and research. "Thc application process alone takes months", Long said when contacted recently in Düsseldorf, Germany. "It is very competitive and even if you are accepted into thc program there is no guarantee that you will be placed where you hoped. I was very fortunate."
Long's daily routine consists of being a teacher's assistant to a staff of eight English teachers at the Comenius Gymnasium in Düsseldorf. She teaches not only grammar and vocabulary but also about American holidays, traditions and culture while providing the students with a live resource for their English studies. At times, she has been asked to take over classes for teachers who were ill or forced to miss classes for other reasons. "The students aren't the only ones learning in my classroom", she said. While teaching English she learns about German culture and the country's theory and system of education as well as thc language and history of Germany. "It's also been au adjustment to be on the other side of the teacher's desk after 17 years as a student", she said.
LONG DESCRIBED Düsseldorf as about the size of Tacoma, and while it has a charming and lively old-town neighborhood, in general it's a very modern city. Located on the Rhine River and nestled in an industrial area near Cologne and Essen, Düsscldorf hugs the western border of Gcrmany, which puts it close to France, Brussels and the Netherlands. It is celebrated for fashion, museums, pubs, festivals and concerts.
Long said the city fits perfectly into her wish to see as much of the world as possible, adding that her desire to be a "citizen of thc world" has taken her to a long list of countries in a short period of time. Since graduating from SHS she has lived for a year in Switzerland and has seen most of Western Europe. She spent eight months in Bavaria and visited Mayan ruins in Guatemala. She also went to Cuba as part of a sports exchange with the Wesleyan volleyball team. After graduation last May she drove solo from Connecticut to Shelton, traveling mostly through Southern Canada. "I've always loved seeing new places and meeting new people. I worked hard to be able to travel and study in such amazing places, but also consider myself very lucky because of all the opportunities I've had", she said.
AS HER YEAR in Germany draws to a close, Long has found herself pondering the direction of her future. She was asked what she will do after the school year ends in Germany. "I could go in so many directions right now. I am seriously looking at graduate school, but will spend at least one more year doing something else and gaining more practical experience. Exactly what that 'something' will be has yet, to unfold", she said.
Long said the strength of her education in Shelton and the help of a few special people along the way made her adventures possible. She made special mention of Don Jones, Alan Skare, Emily Garlich, her family and the Rotarians of Mason County. "Growing up in Shelton gave me a lot advantages that I didn't necessarily recognize at thc time", she said.
Shelton-Mason County Journal, Thursday, May 6, 2004