W&L’s Benton Copeland ’24 Awarded Fulbright to Taiwan Copeland has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Taiwan.

By Emily Innes
April 12, 2024

Washington and Lee University senior Benton Copeland ’24 has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to teach English in Taiwan. At W&L, Copeland is double majoring in economics and East Asian languages and literatures, with a focus on Chinese. Copeland’s hometown is Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and he graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia.

“The opportunity to represent America abroad and fully immerse myself in Taiwanese culture is a huge honor,” Copeland said.

The ETA program in Taiwan is designed to help improve English language instruction in Taiwan’s elementary schools, junior high schools and universities, as well as strengthen the educational and cultural relationships between the United States and Taiwan. English Teaching Assistants engage not only with their students, but with the surrounding community through service-oriented projects.

Copeland was inspired to apply for a Fulbright after he spent the summer after his sophomore year studying abroad in Taiwan and fell in love with the country.

“I see the ETA in Taiwan as a way to challenge my communications skills and my understanding of the world, as well as an opportunity to return to a country I love and make a tangible impact,” Copeland said. “As a Chinese major, I also hope to further develop my language skills and create lifelong friendships overseas.”

At W&L, Copeland is a member of Chi Psi fraternity and the Students Against Rockbridge Area Hunger team and works as a career fellow in the Office of Career and Professional Development. He also serves as one of three executive directors of Washington and Lee Student Consulting (WSLC). Copeland is grateful for the mentorship and support he has received from W&L’s faculty members, who in turn admire his work ethic and leadership skills.

“Benton is a born leader who is extremely dependable and is able to make everyone feel comfortable,” said Lloyd Tanlu, associate professor of accounting and faculty adviser for WLSC. “These traits, along with his dedication and intelligence, will make him such an effective educator during his Fulbright year.”

With the Fulbright award, Copeland will depart in August 2024 for his 11-month program. Upon completion of the program, he plans to begin working for Capital One in Washington, D.C.

The Fulbright Program was established more than 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Washington and Lee University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Students for the sixth consecutive year.

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