W&L’s Tom Finnegan ’26 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria Finnegan is looking forward to sharing his passion for sustainable food systems with the students at a “green” school near Klagenfurt am Wörthersee.
Washington and Lee University senior Tom Finnegan ’26 has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) to teach English in Austria. At W&L, Finnegan is an environmental studies and economics double major. Finnegan is a native of Washington, New Jersey, and graduated from Warren Hills 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.
Finnegan’s interest in Austria was first sparked by Johanna Lehnert, the German world language teaching assistant who is from Austria, and he credits spending a semester studying in Austria with solidifying his decision to apply for the USTA and continue his German language studies at W&L.
“Completing my final year of advanced German has reinforced the joy I find in understanding someone in their native language and being able to hold a meaningful conversation,” Finnegan said. “Having the chance to provide that same personal connection and cultural bridge for Austrian students is a profound honor.”
Finnegan will be placed at a “green” school near Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, which operates under the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and focuses on sustainable agriculture. He is looking forward to the opportunity to help students navigate topics like sustainability, nutrition and agriculture, combining his background in environmental studies with his interest in sustainable food systems.
Finnegan is grateful for the support and encouragement he has received from his faculty mentors, including Jaime Roots, assistant professor of German; Emily Cook, associate professor and research and instruction librarian for the humanities; Stu Gray, associate professor of politics; and Ryan McCoy, assistant professor of environmental studies.
“I am thrilled to hear Tom has been selected as a USTA recipient,” McCoy said. “Having worked with him in an interdisciplinary field like environmental studies, I’ve seen firsthand the wide range of his proficiencies across disciplines, from the humanities to the physical sciences. Tom has always impressed me as a creative thinker, and his work and presence in the classroom consistently combine intellectual rigor, insight and humor. I look forward to following this next chapter in Tom’s life and wish him all the best as he heads into a very bright future.”
On campus, Finnegan is a Peer Connector and has held leadership positions in W&L Student Consulting, Campus Kitchen and the Library Student Advisory Board. He has also served as a research assistant in the amphibian ecology lab, led by David Marsh, professor of biology, and co-founded the Sunset Club, a student organization dedicated to promoting mental wellness and community through the appreciation of Rockbridge County’s natural beauty.
Finnegan cites his time as chair of the Traveller Safe Ride Program as his most impactful experience at W&L. He appreciates the experience it has provided in large-scale personnel management, stakeholder engagement and the ability to effectively communicate the program’s mission to drive operational improvements. The program also holds personal significance to Finnegan because impaired driving was responsible for the deaths of his aunt and uncle, and he is grateful for the opportunity to directly address and combat impaired driving in the campus community.
“Having witnessed the ripple effects of such a loss on my family, I have been tirelessly motivated to prevent similar tragedies within my own community,” Finnegan said. “The fact that Traveller is a student-run organization is what makes it truly special. It isn’t a stranger or an outside authority figure ensuring a safe ride home, but rather a dedicated peer and friend. This unique structure grants students autonomy over critical safety decisions and fosters a culture of mutual care, which is a testament to the strength of the W&L community.”
With the USTA, Finnegan will depart in September 2026 for his nine-month program. Upon completion of the program, Finnegan plans to pursue a career in consulting, focusing on environmental economics, government contracting and international environments.
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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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