W&L’s Max Sadlowski ’20 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Germany Sadlowski has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Germany starting January 2021.

By Will Edgar
August 7, 2020

“I was delighted when I arrived at W&L and realized I could study German language and culture again. The German department faculty were instrumental in furthering my love for the language, and encouraging me to apply for the Fulbright program.”

~Max Sadlowski ’20

Washington and Lee University graduate Max Sadlowski ’20 has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany starting January 2021. At W&L, Sadlowski majored in German and completed the course load required for the pre-medical school track.

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. Sadlowski will teach English in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany during his six-month assistantship.

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be awarded this opportunity, and I’m excited about the opportunity to interact with German students on a daily basis,” said Sadlowski. “I hope to share my experiences and love for American culture with them as I gain a deeper understanding of Germany and the language I have come to love. I aim to strengthen the bond between Germans and Americans as we prepare to tackle the challenges of the future.”

“Max was a lacrosse player at W&L, and it can be a challenge for Spring Term athletes to major in German because they are not able to participate in our spring faculty-led courses in Germany or Austria,” said Debra Prager, head of the German Department. “But Max was determined and enrolled in an eight-week summer course in Berlin that met our German major criteria and included a homestay. He’s eager to learn as much as he can about German culture. Max is upbeat as well as a good communicator and careful listener, and those qualities will help him make a really positive impact on young German students as an ETA.”

As a student, Sadlowski cultivated his exposure to the language as a member of the German Club and as a volunteer German instructor through Languages for Rockbridge at Mountain View Elementary School in Buena Vista, Virginia.

“I believe my time at W&L was invaluable, as I met so many wonderful people who helped prepare me for a Fulbright grant,” said Sadlowski. “I began to consider the possibilities of studying German going into Winter Term my freshman year. My family briefly lived in Herzogenaurach, Germany, when I was a boy, and I attended a German school in first and second grade. I was delighted when I arrived at W&L and realized I could study German language and culture again. The German Department faculty were instrumental in furthering my love for the language and encouraging me to apply for the Fulbright program. I’m especially grateful to Jon Eastwood and Debra Prager for their generous assistance during the application process.”

“Max has a ‘glass half full’ approach to life,” said Prager, “and that will be particularly important given the challenges schools everywhere will face during the pandemic. I see him coming up with innovative ways to support his school’s English teachers and to connect with and help his students practice their English and learn about American culture and politics. It’s an important job. They will have many questions for him, and I’m so glad Fulbright has chosen such a thoughtful, committed and hardworking person to represent the U.S. and, of course, W&L in Germany.”

Upon the conclusion of the Fulbright ETA, Sadlowski intends to pursue a career in medicine. He is currently studying to take the MCAT in September, and he will apply to medical schools starting in May 2021. After returning from Germany and finishing the medical school application process, he plans to work in the medical field as a scribe or medical assistant.

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