Walker School Alum Harrison Awarded Fulbright to Teach in Spain

MARIETTA —  After graduating from Washington and Lee University later this month, Walker alumna Janie Harrison (’22) is headed to northern Spain to teach English as the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA).

The nine-month program places participants in classrooms to support English-language instruction while also engaging with the local community. Following her time in Spain, Harrison plans to pursue a career in teaching at an independent school in the United States.

Harrison, who studied abroad in Madrid during her junior year at W&L, is looking forward to the complete cultural immersion provided by the Fulbright assistantship.

“With the Fulbright program, I will be in Spain the entire time and completely immersed both culturally and linguistically, which really appeals to me,” Harrison said. “This is a great way to get classroom experience and an adventure at the same time!”

Harrison said she didn’t always know she wanted to teach. At W&L, she majored in history with a minor in Spanish because those subjects interested her, but it was her other passions – coaching volleyball, tutoring and being a summer camp counselor – that pointed her in the direction of working with kids.

“My resume looked like someone who wanted to be a teacher before I knew or thought that I did,” Harrison said.

Harrison said she remembers her Spanish teachers at Walker, specifically Eva Bundy and Ryan Stadler, and their enthusiasm for teaching, as well as their excitement and willingness to share their life experiences with students.

“Mrs. Bundy would share things about her life growing up in Spain and cultural things that were always more interesting than just grammar worksheets,” Harrison said. “Mr. Stadler would tell stories about his dad and his culture, not just teach the language. Walker teachers are great like that.”

While waiting to hear back about the Fulbright program, Harrison had been applying to teach at various independent schools in the Southeast. She was struck by how much the schools she was drawn to – independent day schools with a focus on diversity and inclusion and a strong community feel – reminded her of Walker.

“A big part of what Walker did for me was to help me build confidence. I am nervous about this new experience, but I also know I can do it,” Harrison said of her upcoming time in Spain. “Walker does an excellent job of caring about students individually and encouraging them to try new things. My time there and my experience at W&L have given me the confidence to do something like this.”

Read the full article from Washington and Lee HERE.