Each year, Drury welcomes Fulbright Scholars to campus as a part of the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program. The FLTA program enables international students and professionals to teach world language courses in American universities. In exchange, Fulbright Scholars act as cultural ambassadors, studying and gaining professional experience abroad.

This year, Drury welcomed two Fulbright Scholars to teach courses in Arabic and Mandarin. As their year-long scholarship approaches its end, The Mirror reached out to the scholars to learn more about their Fulbright experience at Drury.

Mohammed Altarabulsi currently serves as Drury’s Fulbright Visiting Instructor of Arabic. Originally from Libya, Mohammed comes to Drury with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Elmergib University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics. 

Mohammed applied to both a Fulbright Master’s program and the FLTA program, eventually being awarded the latter. The award enabled him to study in the United States for the first time.

“Coming here to the U.S. wasn’t one of my plans. It was just an opportunity, and I grabbed it,” he said. “It was the right fit for me to visit the U.S., teach something new, see a new experience. The scholarship was my best way to get that.”

With prior teaching experience in English, Mohammed’s courses at Drury mark his first time teaching Arabic. He expressed appreciation for his students not only for making him feel welcome, but also for being passionate about what they’re learning.

“I was nervous, but at the same time, I was so surprised because the students were really lovely and really respectful,” said Mohammed, also expressing gratitude for the support staff and faculty have given him since arriving. “Drury made me feel at home.”

Although Mohammed isn’t sure what lies ahead after his FLTA experience, his Drury experience has given him experiences and resources for the future. “Career growth is one of the most crucial things I’m taking back with me,” he said, referencing both his gained teaching experiences and the guidance he’s received from Drury’s Career Planning and Development team. 

As for advice for current students, Mohammed greatly encourages taking advantage of study abroad opportunities. 

“Any opportunity for studying abroad, you’ve got to go for it,” he said, also encouraging students to continue applying for opportunities and not letting rejection deter them. “It will make you see things from different angles.” 

Li-Hui Lee currently serves as Drury’s Fulbright Visiting Instructor of Mandarin. From Taiwan, Li-Hui holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching and a Master of Arts in Applied English. She has been a full-time English teacher in Taiwan for 10 years. She also serves as a consultant to her home city’s government to support teacher training and English curriculum design. 

Li-Hui applied to Fulbright looking for a way to expand her teaching experiences, not only for herself as a passionate language teacher, but also for her students in Taiwan where there aren’t as many opportunities for students to interact with the English language. Li-Hui’s FLTA award marks her first time studying and teaching in the U.S. 

“Fulbright just doesn’t tell you how to teach, but they focus more on the cultural exchange and cultural understanding,” she said.

In designing her Mandarin courses at Drury, Li-Hui wanted her students not only to familiarize themselves with the language, but also be able to apply it creatively. From hosting campus events, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Fall 2024 semester, to having her students connect with her Taiwanese students as penpals, Li-Hui enables her students to connect with Chinese culture through language.

Li-Hui connected with Drury’s small class sizes and student-centered learning. “I hope I’m not here just to teach, but I also want to know [students] well and help them keep track of how well they’re learning,” she said. 

Although she had some nerves during her first class sessions, Li-Hui was surprised by her students’ willingness to engage with Chinese culture. “Even when I’m not there, they speak Chinese in simple conversations,” she said. “They are eager to try to use Chinese. I think that makes the teaching more meaningful.”

Li-Hui will return to Taiwan after her FLTA experience to share her teaching experiences with her students. She also hopes to find more opportunities for teaching abroad in the future. During her time at Drury, Li-Hui took Spanish classes to help her prepare for the possibility of teaching Mandarin in a Spanish-speaking country should the opportunity arise.

Li-Hui also encourages Drury students interested in Fulbright to apply, regardless of how successful they believe they’ll be. 

“For me, I kept waiting a long time, because I’d always think, ‘Oh, I’m not well prepared,” she said. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Senior Drury Students, alumni, and graduate students are eligible to apply for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program, the American equivalent to the FLTA program. Fulbright offers a variety of countries and schools from which applicants can choose to apply.

The application portal for the 2026-27 award cycle will open in Spring 2025. The Fulbright deadline is typically in October, with additional deadlines set by Drury for endorsement. Students interested in learning more about Fulbright opportunities can contact Dr. Shelley Wolbrink at swolbrin@drury.edu and visit us.fulbrightonline.com.

Images courtesy of Li-Hui Lee