As salaam maalekum (Peace be upon you)! My name is Arilyn Oatman! I am 23 years old and I am originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Living in Pennsylvania, I loved to visit Hershey Park, visit the Amish markets, and see historical sights like Gettysburg or the Liberty Bell. For college, I left Pennsylvania and went halfway across the country to Iowa State University so that I could study Global Resource Systems (Globe as we liked to call it). Globe is the study of how the world uses its resources and how we can do that more sustainably. I focused my studies on food insecurity, nutrition, and education. For my senior capstone project, I spent the summer in Kenya studying the relationship between women’s education and their household food security while also teaching at a local primary school.
I loved my time abroad and couldn’t wait to return and share my love and passion for education which led me to apply for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. I was fortunate enough to be accepted to this prestigious position and am currently living in Thies, Senegal teaching English! I am excited to share my adventures with you all and can not wait to hear about the adventures you all take part in throughout the school year!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
