A Central Michigan University senior from Warren has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant to teach English in the Slovak Republic.
Grace Pawluszka, a music education major with a minor in business administration, worked with CMU’s National Scholarship Program and faculty mentors from the School of Music to complete her application. She is the daughter of Paul and Ann Pawluszka of Warren and attended Cousino High School in Warren.
Each year, fewer than 2,000 U.S. students, artists and young professionals receive Fulbright grants to study, conduct research and teach English abroad. Fulbright student programs are offered in more than 140 around the world. Students are selected based upon their merit, leadership and cultural competency. Pawluszka’s experience and family ties to the Slovak Republic made her a natural choice for the grant.
“I visited the country on a family trip when I was younger and returned last summer to study abroad where I completed a program focused on Carpatho-Rusyn language, culture, and history,” Pawluszka said via email. “While in Europe, I also visited Poland, Austria, Italy, and Croatia. In the summer of 2017, I studied abroad in New Zealand and also visited Australia and Fiji. These global experiences piqued my interest in studying and understanding other cultures.”
Pawluszka plans to pursue a career as either a music educator or a business professional in the music industry, roles which require significant collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds.
“I felt that the Fulbright program would offer me an international teaching experience that would help me develop a global and cultural awareness as an educator,” she said. “This is a unique program that celebrates cultural exchange.”
Pawluszka hopes that by winning the grant, she will be able to help young people in the Slovak Republic develop more opportunities in the future.
