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Erin Shaw, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies at UNC Asheville, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to teach English in Malaysia. Shaw is the 45th UNC Asheville graduate to earn a Fulbright grant through the university’s advising program. She plans to return to the U.S. pursue graduate studies after her Fulbright grant is completed.
Shaw has been involved in education since her graduation in 2012, first as an AmeriCorps teaching assistant at ArtSpace Charter School in Asheville, and then teaching full-time in an afternoon and evening afterschool program (sometimes called a “cram school”) in Daegu, South Korea. She will continue at her post in South Korea until she leaves in December for Malaysia, where she will teach in a rural school.
“I was attracted to Malaysia because it is an ethnically and religiously really diverse country,” said Shaw. “I’m excited about what I will learn and what Malaysia can teach me. I think there’s a lot of room for personal and professional growth.”
Shaw, from Murfreesboro, N.C., is a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Math, where she was most inspired by a course in international relations. Then as a student at UNC Asheville, she spent a semester studying at the University of Ghana. She says that was an important experience for her as a Westerner, especially with regard to gender issues. “Even if you think you know what is morally and ethically right to you, you can’t always push that belief on other people, and you need to have the skills to have a compassionate and open-minded dialogue.”
She returned to UNC Asheville continuing her focus on international studies. “I consider myself lucky that I knew what I wanted to do and was really encouraged by the faculty,” said Shaw. “The class on women, gender and globalization taught by Dr. Lyndi Hewitt [UNC Asheville assistant professor of sociology] changed my life a little bit and really solidified my interest in the relationship between development and women’s rights. I feel like I owe a lot to all of the faculty.”
It took three years for Shaw to be awarded the Fulbright grant, and she is especially grateful for the help of Professor Linda Cornett, chair of UNC Asheville’s Department of Political Science. “This is my third time applying – I was rejected two times,” said Shaw. “And three times, Dr. Cornett has written letters of recommendation, given me advice, looked over my essays and given so much support. I have always been supported by the UNC Asheville community.”
Shaw is one of two UNC Asheville alumni to be granted a Fulbright this year. Gray Barrett, a 2016 graduate, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for research in Norway and will be part of the two-year master’s degree program in theory and practice of human rights at the University of Oslo.
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