“I studied German linguistics and world languages and cultures at the U. I also earned a certificate in TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I’ll be heading to Germany on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, and I’m very, very thankful that I actually received the award.

My connection to Germany began after my freshman year, when I participated in a faculty-guided study abroad program in Kiel. I’d already been studying the language, but it was my first time in the country, and I fell in love with the culture. I stayed with a host family that I got really close with. I really wanted to return and keep nurturing that connection. As I was getting toward the end of my degrees, my German professors encouraged me to apply for a Fulbright. So I did.

The Office for Nationally Competitive Scholarships was awesome. They were super helpful in putting together application materials — I certainly could not have done it without Alison and Susan. The process takes about a year, and they were by my side through all of it. 

Previously, the longest I’ve spent in Germany is about a month. I am excited to spend a year there and really soak in the culture and the language so I can improve my German. The teaching itself is a big part of what I’m looking forward to. I think it will help me decide whether to continue in Germany as an English-language teacher or come back to the U.S. to teach German or work with immigrants and international students here.

I’m also a rock climber, and I love, love, love getting outdoors. The German-speaking region has a rich history of mountaineering and rock climbing, and I’m looking forward to engaging with that side of the culture and developing more as a climber while I’m there.

If I had anything to say to someone putting together an application, it would be: Give it a shot. Try for it and see what happens. It’s a tricky application, but it is well worth it when you get that email that says you’re going. Stick with it.

— Kellen Hullinger, Class of 2026, B.A. in German, Linguistics and World Languages & Cultures, College of Humanities, Draper, UT