W&L’s Dax Citron ’26 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria Citron is looking forward to returning to Vienna, where she spent a semester abroad, and further developing her German language skills.
Washington and Lee University senior Dax Citron ’26 has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) to teach English in Austria. At W&L, Citron is a cognitive and behavioral science and German double major. Citron is a native of Charlottesville, Virginia, and graduated from Monticello High School.
The USTA Program is administered by Fulbright Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Teaching assistants are placed in secondary schools throughout Austria to teach English language and linguistic skills, serve as informal cultural ambassadors, and promote mutual understanding between the United States and Austria.
Citron is looking forward to returning to Vienna, Austria, a city she first fell in love with while studying abroad there during Fall Term 2025. She will be teaching English in a “gymnasium” (a university-preparatory track secondary school serving grades five through twelve) and is grateful for the opportunity to continue her study of German language and culture.
“Being abroad in Vienna really opened my eyes to what could be next for me,” Citron said. “I explored the city on my own, applied my German skills outside of the classroom for the first time and navigated the challenges that came along with that experience. It was the first time I felt as though I was standing on my own two feet, and I came out the other side in love with the city and how it made me feel, and with a new confidence in myself and my abilities.”
Citron credits Debra Prager, associate professor of German and department head, with helping her decide to major in German, and particularly appreciates how Prager took the time to help her make sure the required major courses would fit her schedule and continued to encourage her language learning. Citron also found support and encouragement in her major adviser, Jaime Roots, assistant professor of German, and spent the summer of 2025 working with Roots on research for her next book.
“My time with the German department at W&L has shaped my confidence as a learner, and the relationships I have formed were some of my most impactful at this school,” Citron said. “Knowing that the environment I was so proud to be a part of, and which challenged me in so many ways has fostered the skills I need for the USTA is an amazing culmination of years of work and growth.”
At W&L, Citron is involved with Languages for Rockbridge, teaching German to local third, fourth and fifth graders. She also works with the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship to facilitate outreach and accessibility and is a member of the club volleyball team and Chi Omega sorority.
With the USTA, Citron will depart in September 2026 for her eight-month program. Upon completion of the program, Citron plans to pursue her master’s degree in clinical psychology and work as a psychological counselor conducting talk therapy.
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W&L students interested in applying for the U.S. Teaching Assistantship Program should contact Matthew Loar in the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning (Leyburn 114) or by email at mloar@wlu.edu.
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