W&L’s Dickinson ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria After her USTA program orientation in September, Joey Dickinson will be teaching in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.

By Kelsey Goodwin
June 6, 2022

Washington and Lee senior Joey Dickinson ’22 has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria. Dickinson is a Johnson Scholar who is double-majoring in economics and poverty studies and minoring in data science. She is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and attended Lewis Central Senior High School.

Since 1962, Fulbright Austria has partnered with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research to bring qualified, motivated university graduates from the United States to teach English in Austrian secondary schools and encourage cross-cultural dialogue. After her USTA program orientation in September, Dickinson will teach in her assigned secondary school from October 2022 to May 2023. While in Austria, she plans to take courses at the University of Vienna in preparation for beginning her graduate studies after she completes her teaching assistantship.

“This opportunity is so exciting to me,” Dickinson said. “I’ll be able to spend some time traveling and teaching in addition to developing my German language skills, and even beginning some graduate-level courses at the University of Vienna. I am so eager to get to know my students and explore Europe!”

During her undergraduate career, Dickinson served as a leader for the Volunteer Venture pre-orientation program, a service trip sponsored by the Shepherd Program that partners with community-based agencies in cities around the country. She has also been an officer for the student-run community service organization Nabors Service League, served on the executive leadership team for the Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG) and hosted a radio show on WLUR.

Jaime Roots, visiting assistant professor of German, has worked with Dickinson throughout the past four years. “I am thrilled that she has been awarded the very well-deserved USTA award to Austria,” Roots said. “It’s been such a pleasure to be able to work with her these past years. I know that her future students in Austria are very lucky to have such an amazing person as their teacher. She is truly a phenomenal student, intellectual and individual.”

Marisa Charley, a professor of poverty studies who also serves as associate director of the Shepherd Program and director of the Bonner Program, taught Dickinson in poverty studies classes and got to know her work well during her time in the Shepherd Program. Charley said that Dickinson’s experience serving with local youth and adults in teaching, tutoring and mentoring roles contributes to the vast skill set she will bring to her language work in Austria.

“Joey is rooted in the belief that a world with real opportunity for all is possible, and her actions remain consistently congruent with that notion,” Charley said. “She sees gifts and talents beyond cultural constructs, understands the complexities of poverty and marginality, and is extraordinarily well-equipped to partner respectfully and responsibly with organizations abroad.”

After completing her USTA assignment, Dickinson plans to obtain her master’s degree in sociology, and is especially interested in applying to the University of Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany.

Washington and Lee University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2021-2022 Fulbright U.S. Students for the fourth consecutive year.

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