Rhodes senior Isabel Buonopane, a religious studies major and gender and sexuality studies minor from Marietta, GA, will work in Turkey 2014-2015 as recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Award.
“I will be teaching English to Turkish students and serving as a cultural ambassador for the United States,” says Buonopane. “While living and teaching in Turkey, I hope to volunteer at a women’s shelter or women’s advocacy organization. I also hope to join some kind of volunteer environmental group or volunteer at a local garden or farm, depending on where I am assigned to live.”
The Fulbright Program, America’s highly prestigious international educational exchange sponsor, is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, the program awards grants to students, scholars, administrators and professionals to study, teach, lecture or conduct research abroad.
At Rhodes, Buonopane is co-president of Rhodes’ gender and sexuality studies honor society; secretary for Mortar Board national honor society; and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, Theta Alpha Kappa religion and theology honor society, and Order of Omega Greek leadership honor society.
Buonopane also is director of the Peer Advocate Center, a member of the Rhodes Common Table, a research assistant to the religious studies chair, and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Throughout her time at Rhodes, she has volunteered at St. Jude’s Ronald McDonald House, St. John’s Soup Kitchen, and Grow Memphis.
“The Fulbright award in Turkey allows Ms. Buonopane the ability to continue pursuing a wide set of interests,” says Dr. Robert Saxe, co-director of post-graduate fellowships at Rhodes. “She’s studied abroad in Morocco, taken courses on Islam, and is interested in learning foreign languages. She’ll be a great teacher.”
“I hope that this next year in Turkey will be a great learning and growing experience for me,” says Buonopane.