Westerly Resident and UVM Grad, Matthew Greene, Wins Fulbright to Teach English in the Czech Republic

BURLINGTON, VT (06/15/2010)(readMedia)-- Matthew Greene '10 has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in the Czech Republic for the 2010-2011 academic year. He will work as an English teaching assistant for two high schools in the small Czech city of Havlickuv Brod, located in the middle of the country.

Greene, a Westerly, R.I. native, European studies major and avid linguist, became enamored with the Czech Republic while he was studying abroad in Austria during the 2008-2009 academic year. Greene already spoke German and Italian, but he begged his Czech friends to teach him their language. Learning the language enabled Matthew to learn a lot more about the Czech people, and he become fascinated by Czech history and culture. He also recognized that the Czech people were just as enthusiastic about learning his language as he was about learning theirs. He hopes that by the end of his year abroad he will be fluent in Czech and his students will have a strong understanding of English.

His intercultural experiences will not end with his Fulbright year. Greene plans on returning to the U.S. to pursue a graduate degree focusing on Central European studies, specifically related to Austria and the Czech Republic. He eventually plans to enter the Foreign Service and work as a representative of the U.S. in a Central European country.

Three other UVM alumni won Fulbrights this year: Dzeneta Karabegovic '08, from Burlington, Vt., Hannah LeMieux '10, from Phillipston, Mass. and Emily Lubell '09, from Natick, Mass.

Karabegovic, Greene, LeMieux and Lubell and are four of more 1,500 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2010-2011 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

###

A high-resolution image of Greene is available for download at the following link: http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/images/high_res/greene_high_res.jpg