Heidi Ressler of Baldwinsville, N.Y. Earns Prestigious Fulbright Grant

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Heidi Ressler hi-res headshot

ROCHESTER, NY (04/13/2010)(readMedia)-- Nazareth College is proud to announce that the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has awarded Heidi Ressler of Baldwinsville, N.Y., a 2009-10 Undergraduate Junior Fulbright award. 

Ressler, a senior with a major in history with adolescent social studies and special education certification, and a minor in German, is traveling to Germany to teach English. Upon returning to the United States, she plans on pursuing her master's degree in either history or international studies before going into teaching full time.

While in Germany, Ressler hopes to share lessons on diversity in the U.S. to enliven her students' views towards different cultures. She would also like to volunteer for a community-based project focused on immigration in Germany.

"Teaching is a career that is sometimes underappreciated and underestimated, but I feel that educators have the important power and responsibility to promote multiculturism in our classrooms," said Ressler, who studied in Berlin her sophomore year as part of Nazareth's study abroad program. "My coursework and pedagogical experience in American and German classrooms have given me insight into the educational systems of both counties. As a Fulbright Teaching Assistant, I would use what I have learned not only to teach English, but also to be a cultural ambassador for the United States.

Ressler joins David Jablonski of Greece, N.Y., as the two Nazareth students who earned a 2009-10 Fulbright Award for Nazareth College.

Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program's objective is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the rest of the world. Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program is America's flagship international education exchange. Approximately 279,500 "Fulbrights," 105,400 from the United States and 174,100 from other countries, have participated in the Program since its inception over fifty years ago.

Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a coeducational college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located on 150 scenic acres near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Nazareth has a strong commitment to experience-based learning and civic engagement. In the past decade, Nazareth has produced 18 Fulbright recipients and two Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.