Sarah Ellis, a Newly Awarded Fulbright Scholar, Will Visit Uruguay This Summer

by Bill Lee | contributing writer - 1/31/2024

When Lowell High School Spanish teacher, Sarah Ellis, received a note a couple years ago from her principal, Steve Gough, about applying for a Fulbright Global Scholar Award, little did she know how competitive the process would become. She applied twice to no avail. "I looked into it and I applied, and that was a couple of years ago, and I did not get it and actually applied a second time and didn't get it," said Ellis. "They don't tell you why you don't get it.  Whether it's crazy or whether it's perseverance, I thought that this still is something I wanted. There is a lot to do with the process and applying for it, like getting letters of recommendation and then there are essays attached to it."

Her third time, Ellis, a 20-year LHS teacher, decided to take a different approach. Instead of getting disheartened, she reached out to a Facebook group of people who had won the scholarship. She asked some questions about how they formatted their essays, and she decided to use a more calculated approach on her third application.

Then on July 1st, after she and Chaye Klomparens, also a LHS Spanish teacher, got back from a student trip to Costa Rica, Ellis heard some news about her third application. It was good news. She had won the Fulbright Award. "I was very tired so hearing about it, I thought it was pretty cool, and it made me refocus right away," said Ellis. "I do really love traveling, no matter what happens, and it's always a learning experience."

The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is sponsored by the US Department of State, with funding provided by the US Government. It is a fully-funded program that provides teachers and professionals a 2-3 week educational program in selected countries across the world.  "Fulbright is considered one of the premier fellowships that you can get through the US State Department," said Ellis.  "It is a program that has been going on for decades. They look at who is a leader in their community, trying to promote global awareness. It's a promise of a lot of learning, connections and networking, and you also have a lot of homework and a field experience. After the field experience, you have a capstone project in which you present and share that with your community, in this case, the district, in hopes of enhancing global awareness and education."

Ellis will be visiting Uruguay this summer. During her 2-3 weeks there, she will spend some time at the embassy in Uruguay, get some training, then travel to schools, teach lessons and interact with the students and teachers, fostering mutual understanding and connections.

Ellis, who lives in Grand Rapids, grew up in Rockford and began her love of language and traveling when she was in high school. She considers herself a lifelong learner and considers going to school "a bit of a habit."

"I had some amazing teachers in high school and in college and I just fell in love with the challenge of it," said Ellis. "There is so much to learn with the language and the culture. There are 21 different Spanish-speaking countries and they each have their unique various culture within each country.  It felt like a really cool challenge. My teachers encouraged me to study abroad and I listened to them. I thought it sounded interesting." She ended up studying in Salamanca, Spain, during her undergraduate education.

After college, she did a long-term substitute gig at Lowell High School, almost twenty years ago, which turned into a full-time job at the school. She has been sharing her love of language and culture ever since.

From February 8-10, Ellis, along with principal, Steve Gough, will be attending a symposium in Washington, DC with the other Fulbright fellows in the US. The program will be three days of intensive professional development, along with getting ready for their trips. They will get to meet some leaders, special guests, and the people who chose their applications. She has already completed a 10-week course with the other recipients and has begun using her experiences with her students in her classes.

Ellis knows that she could not have won this award on her own, and she credits all the incredible support she has had along the way. "I feel like there are a lot of people I want to thank," said Ellis. "Specifically, with their patience, but also just reading my essays, especially doing it three times in a row. Patrick Russell (LHS Athletic Director), Steve Gough, Chaye Klomparens, Abby Wisemen (LMS Principal), Lisa Camfferman (teacher at Cherry Creek), and Brenda Tooley from GVSU."

To learn more about the Fulbright Scholars Program, you can go to their website at fulbrightscholars.org