The Crete News Online

Doane students earn Fulbright Honors to teach abroad

Doane College has added two new scholars to its long tradition with the Fulbright program. The College has had 59 scholars since the program's inception in 1946.

Senior Aprill Bodlak of Emerson will spend an academic year teaching English in a school in Peru. Senior Rachel Kluthe of Wakefield will teach English in Spain.

The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The prestigious program is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

Aprill Bodlak - Areas of study: English as a Second Language, German, Spanish; Activities: Cross country and track, German Club, Honors Program, honor societies, literacy volunteer, Spring Creek Prairie Volunteer.

Bodlak has a habit of telling her friends they won’t get anything if they don’t apply. So when mention of the Fulbright application came up, her friends told her to take her own advice.

Through Doane, Aprill studied abroad in Peru and Germany.         

“Those trips taught me not only differences between cultures but how many similarities there are, and that regardless of where we come from, most people are really good at heart.”

She will return to Peru for her Fulbright assignment, teaching adults English at teacher training institutes. Her year in Peru will begin in February of 2013, after working in Kenya with an NGO school teaching English and German.

Rachel Kluthe - Areas of study: Middle school education in the areas of math, Spanish, and Language Arts; activities: CRU, Honors Program, Student Honors Advisory Group, honor societies, Doane Ambassador, Doane Choir  

As a Doane ambassador leading campus tours, Rachel Kluthe used to show her groups of prospective students a wall of Fulbright scholar photos in Perry Campus Center. At the time, she never thought about adding her picture to the collection. But several Doane professors did, encouraging her and helping her through the extensive Fulbright application process.

Her parents were the kind she is grateful for - the kind who made her try every food on her plate and every activity their annual summer vacations could offer; the kind who hosted exchange students.

“It was always about getting out of your comfort zone and gaining insight into new cultures. I’m very fortunate.”

Through Doane she has traveled to Thailand, Costa Rica and Brazil.

During the next academic year, she will call Madrid home and be assistant-teaching English in a secondary school. She plans to use her Fulbright experiences in the classroom or another career that lets her use the Spanish language.