W&L’s Caroline Rivers ’20 Awarded Fulbright-García Robles Grant to Mexico Rivers has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico starting January 2021.

By Will Edgar
May 22, 2020

“Undoubtedly, my coursework has heavily shaped my path and readied me for my Fulbright experience. Through the university’s intern and study abroad opportunities, I’ve been able to significantly improve my Spanish language skills and develop a deeper knowledge of Latin-American cultures.”

~Caroline Rivers ’20

Washington and Lee University senior Caroline Rivers ’20 has received a Fulbright-García Robles English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Mexico starting January 2021.

Fulbright ETA grants are generally nine months in length and begin in early September, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program start date has been pushed to January 2021. Mexico’s Fulbright Committee will slot Rivers in one of a range of placements in which she will teach English during her five-month assistantship.

“I am so honored to have received the Fulbright García-Robles ETA award, as the program’s mission to foster mutual cultural understanding really resonates with me,” said Rivers. “The opportunity to be a part of a community in Mexico will certainly deepen my cultural understanding of the country. It’s the perfect stepping stone to ready me for a career in which I hope to serve a population from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.”

With a double major in Spanish and politics, and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies, Rivers has devoted her time at W&L to immersing herself in Latin-American cultures. In addition, Rivers has also taught English as a second language to elementary school students.

“Undoubtedly, my coursework has heavily shaped my path and readied me for my Fulbright experience. Through the university’s intern and study abroad opportunities, I’ve been able to significantly improve my Spanish language skills and develop a deeper knowledge of Latin-American cultures,” said Rivers. “During my four years at W&L, volunteering as a tutor, translator and leadership team member for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in the Rockbridge County community reinforced that my areas of study are not confined to the classroom, but are pertinent to the everyday lives of members of our community.”

After completing her Fulbright program, Rivers aspires to enter the nonprofit/public benefit sector with a career in immigrant rights advocacy.

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