HWS News
31 May 2018 St. Peter '18 Wins Fulbright to Taiwan
A recipient of the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Student Award, Lauren St. Peter '18 will travel to Taiwan this summer to begin her one-year tenure as an English Teaching Assistant on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. The chemistry major is an aspiring physician, who views her experiences abroad as essential preparation for a career rooted in international medical aid and development.
"I have started a journey toward developing the skills to become a cross-cultural physician and I believe my next essential step is to immerse myself in the culture of Taiwan," says St. Peter, who will pursue medical school following her Fulbright tenure.
With aspirations to navigate multiple medical systems, St. Peter recognized the importance of obtaining varied experiences while interning at Bronx Lebanon Hospital. "From a medical standpoint, working in the Bronx showed me that to be an effective doctor you must understand the cultures you work in."
This is the third year in a row that HWS has been recognized as one of the nation's top colleges and universities with the most recipients of U.S. Fulbright Student Awards.
"I am excited to teach English in Taiwan because language, in part, is what humanizes us. It is how we express ourselves and permits us to interact with each other," says St. Peter, who taught in Guatemala during a study abroad trip led by the Colleges. "As a teacher, I plan to create a lively classroom that catches the students attention by providing them with an application for the English language in their daily lives."
In addition to teaching in Taiwan, St. Peter plans to take language classes, volunteer at a nursing home, and develop leadership programming for young women that would examine gender roles and equality in the community.
"I am confident in my ability to teach leadership skills from my classes at HWS and through the Girl Scouts," says St. Peter, who interned at the national organization. "Structuring these sessions around self-esteem and healthy living will promote positive self-enhancement and help us join together as women."
On campus, St. Peter has served as a chair for Relay for Life, a chemistry teaching assistant, a coordinator for HWS Rock SAT-C and a manager for Hobart basketball team. St. Peter also studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and graduated from the Colleges' Leadership Certificate Program.
"My most formative experiences at HWS have been defined by my study of chemistry, which challenged me to develop new ways of solving problems, and become a versatile, disciplined and effective thinker," says St. Peter, who also completed a minor in public policy specializing in health studies. "My experiences have been challenging yet rewarding, and I have grown a lot as a person because of them."