Noah LeFevre, an alumnus of the College of Education’s Social Studies Education program (’25), has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA) and will be teaching English in Bulgaria for 2025-26
The Hesston, Kansas, native was recently interviewed by UI’s International Programs to share his thoughts on winning a Fulbright and teaching abroad.
The following excerpt is from that Q&A article:
“Could you give us a brief synopsis of what you plan to do with your Fulbright?
I will be an English teacher in one secondary school and two elementary schools in Panagyurishte, a small town between Sofia and Plovdiv. I will also be leading a weekly English club through a professional high school and a coach for an English debate and speech group.
How do you envision this will influence your life and future career?
After completing my ETA grant, I plan to go to the Denver, Colorado, area to become a social studies teacher. Bulgaria and the surrounding countries have rich histories that are often overlooked in traditional classrooms. I hope to incorporate my time in Bulgaria with photos and stories for my future students. Even if my students don’t go to Bulgaria itself, I hope to instill a sense of adventure and curiosity.
What advice do you have for students interested in applying for a Fulbright?
I highly recommend finding somewhere that you are interested in or have a connection to. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone. Once you've done that, utilize Sylvia Dean and Karen Wachsmuth in the International Programs office. They both helped me so much with writing my proposals and preparing for my interviews. Applying for Fulbright is all about following your interests and using your network of people to support you.”