University of Mary Washington senior Sylvia Sierra has been selected to receive a U.S. Fulbright grant for 2009-2010. She becomes the fifth student in UMW’s history to receive the prestigious award.
The Fulbright Scholarship will allow Sierra to work as an English teaching assistant in Mexico, most likely at a university.
“Teaching English in Latin America has been a dream of mine for at least a couple of years,” said Sierra, a resident of Stafford County who graduates in May with a self-designed special major in linguistics and Spanish.
“It is a true honor to receive a Fulbright award, a distinction which demonstrates a high level of academic achievement and international engagement,” said Nabil Al-Tikriti, assistant professor of history. “Sylvia has demonstrated both her academic and international abilities prominently in her application, and as a result has achieved this rare distinction.”
Sierra is excited about being immersed in the culture of Mexico. The experience will help her polish her Spanish and hone valuable teaching experience. She also hopes to conduct research in sociolinguistics, studying how culture and language intermix.
At Mary Washington, Sierra has been active in many facets of the university, including organizing and teaching English as a Second Language classes for members of the Spanish speaking community. She also founded UMW’s chapters of Students for Democratic Society, Student Organizations United for Progress and the Spanish Club, where she also served as president. She also was awarded research grants in 2008 and 2009 to present papers at Linguistic Society of America conferences in Columbus, Ohio, and in San Francisco, Calif.
A graduate of Brooke Point High School, Sierra is the daughter of Joanna Ingraham of Stafford County, Va., and Edward Sierra of Shoreham, N.Y.