Wednesday, 27 September 2017
https://www.facebook.com/marshalluenglish/posts/1970275756588981
Fatmawati “Fate” Akhmad is a Fulbright scholar from Makassar in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia., as well as second-year TESOL student, graduate assistant and student representative on the Graduate Programs Committee. She chose our program to strengthen her teaching skills. This decision to join the program also fostered a new interest–writing. Fate says, “The English Department offered courses that matched my interests and helped improve my skills in teaching English to speakers of other languages. I ended up gaining more than what I have expected as I found another personal interest, writing. I used to struggle with my writing, but now I start enjoying it. It is all thanks to the courses I have taken here.
“There are many things that I love about this department. My advisor and my professors are very supportive and resourceful. My peers are amazing as well. They are very accepting and helpful. Some of them are from different majors, so I also get to learn to see writing from different perspectives.”
Fate’s interest in writing is further fostered through her role as a graduate assistant in the Writing Center: “Being a writing tutor is one of the most valuable experiences I have had so far. Working there provides me more opportunities to learn from other tutors in helping students with writing issues. It also allows me to help students who struggle with their writing, an issue that I also experienced in the past.”
Alongside her interests in teaching and writing, Fate is an active member of Marshall’s community, volunteering her time at INTO: “I also like meeting new people and learning about others’ cultures. This is my second year here, and I am coming back to my home country next year. I would like to make the most of everything while I am still here. Therefore, I try to get involved in any student organization events, as many as possible, and attend local events here. This semester, I signed up to INTO Marshall’s English Conversation Partner Program. It is an amazing experience as I get to meet new people from different cultures and improve my English as well.”
Of her journey and achievements so far, Fate says: “Being a Fulbright scholar is a life-changing experience which has greatly affected both my personal and my professional life. It has granted me opportunities to become part of many networks and build relationships on a professional level with people from the TESOL [teaching English as a second language] and English programs, as well as with people from outside my fields.
“And studying here has given me opportunities to immerse myself in American academic life and challenge myself to grow my skills and knowledge in pedagogies of teaching English to ESL [English as a second language] students. As an ESL student myself, who has both advantages and disadvantages in learning and teaching English, studying here has made me re-think my ideas of teaching new learners.”
After graduating in May 2018, Fate intends to carry what she’s learned from her time in the English department into her career: “Teaching English in the university is what I would like to do after I finish the program. I also would like to go back and teach as community service in my hometown. And of course, enrolling in a Ph.D. program a few years from now. I believe all my experiences will keep benefiting me for years to come, beyond the duration of my time here.”