A Fulbright Award and an adventure

Lilah Hegarty’s (’26 English) long-time love of English has led to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach English as a second language in South Korea as a Fulbright Scholar.

“When I got the letter, I was so hyped I told everyone,” Hegarty said. “I wanted to tell the world.”

The Fulbright Program has been in existence since 1946 and its goal is to promote mutual understanding and stronger international relationships by enabling the two-way exchange of individuals, ideas, knowledge, and skills between Americans and people from other countries.

Applicants for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award must have some teaching or tutoring experience, a strong academic record, and meet the language requirements of the host country. Competition is fierce with only about a 20% acceptance rate.

Competing for the Fulbright Award entails a months-long application process that includes multiple essays and letters of recommendation from three faculty members. Students usually begin the process in the fall of their junior year.

Roots in English

English, and especially creative writing, were Hegarty’s favorite classes in high school and she wanted to pursue a career that would combine them. She found that career in English education.

“I wanted to do something that was in the same ballpark as creative writing,” Hegarty said. “So, I decided to become an English teacher, which has that same creative element.”

Hegarty wants to work with high school students. She’s looking forward to teaching them how to have analytical conversations about fiction, nonfiction, and media. She wants them to talk about the media they watch and to think more critically about movies, TV shows, and books.
“Getting to teach that and seeing students practice that, I think that’s really inspirational,” Hegarty said.

Teaching English in a foreign country will not be a new experience for Hegarty. Education students at Iowa State have the option of completing the second half of their student teaching experience in an international setting. Hegarty chose to teach in Taiwan.

“It was really cool,” she said.

Hegarty taught second and third grade in Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, mostly practicing English vocabulary and teaching her students about American culture.

“It was super inspiring,” she said. “I had a great time, and it really helped me prepare for this award because now I have a really strong grasp on what teaching English abroad will be like!”

Teaching in South Korea

Fulbright applicants can choose where they want to teach, and Hegarty picked South Korea because she felt it would give her the most in-depth teaching experience from the options available. In South Korea, Hegarty will get to develop her own curriculum and lesson plans, making her feel like a real teacher.

“In South Korea, you are the teacher,” Hegarty said. “And me getting my education degree, I wanted to be the teacher in the classroom.”
Hegarty will not know specifically where she will teach until closer to her departure date, but Fulbright Scholars are usually sent to rural schools.
The Fulbright posting lasts for about a year, and Hegarty will begin teaching in South Korea in January 2027. She is taking the time beforehand to learn both the spoken and the written Korean language. She is excited to read Korean literature in its original language.

“I love the Korean writing system and the culture that surrounds it,” Hegarty said. “I want to learn to read the language so I can read the stories and poems while I am there.”

Hegarty is eager to begin this next adventure and experience all that South Korea has to offer.

“I can’t wait.”