1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Alumni

Two Transylvania alumni win Fulbright Teaching Assistantships

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University alumni Chase Coleman ’16 and Jessica Obi ’13 have been awarded grants to serve as Fulbright English Teaching Assistants for 2017-18. Fulbright grants are highly competitive, and recipients are chosen for their academic and leadership potential. Coleman, who graduated with a triple major in economics, French and math, is from Georgetown, Ky. He will serve as an English Teaching Assistant and cultural ambassador to Andorra, a principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. In addition to his teaching duties, he will engage in the local community through an outdoors club, yoga classes (he is a certified instructor) and a weekly conversation roundtable in English.  After his sophomore year at Transylvania, Coleman worked as a summer intern in Normandy, France, at the Musee des Automates. As a junior, he studied at the Institute for American Universities in Aux-en-Provence, France. This year he taught English to schoolchildren in Deauville, France. The Lexington’s Sister Cities Commission sponsored his summer internship and postgraduate teaching in France. Obi, from Lexington, graduated with a double major in psychology and English. She will serve as an English Teaching Assistant and cultural ambassador for university students in Vietnam. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she plans to work with community organizations and individuals who have been affected by Agent Orange. As a junior at Transylvania, Obi studied with the School for International Studies program in Social and Political Transformation in Durban, South Africa. She then earned an M.A. in ethics, peace,

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Transylvania to offer $60,000 International Baccalaureate scholarships

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University is making a major commitment to graduates of the globally recognized International Baccalaureate program. Transylvania will offer scholarships of at least $60,000 over four years to graduates of IB programs, which, like the university, promote open-mindedness, intercultural understanding and curiosity. “We are reaching out to IB students everywhere because we believe that our shared approaches to modern, interdisciplinary liberal arts education offer each of us the opportunity to grow and to use education to improve our lives and make the world a better place for all,” Transylvania President Seamus Carey said. The more than 5,500 IB programs in 151 countries—from Botswana to Boston—prepare students for participation in a global society through a rigorous curriculum. Founded in 1968, IB educates students aged 3-19, awarding them diplomas or certificates upon finishing the program. Four Kentucky high schools have IB programs, and there are several more in the region. Transylvania will begin offering the scholarships in the fall of 2017. The university believes its deep foundation in the liberal arts serves as an ideal continuation of the IB curriculum, which shares its values of knowledge, creativity, service and empathy. Those offered a scholarship also will receive early entry into the 100 Doors to Success mentoring program. This initiative pairs students with alumni who share a wealth of workplace and life experience. Additionally, the university will guarantee them internships and/or study abroad experience. While Transylvania ranks among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges,

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Transylvania names new residence hall after dedicated alumni

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has named the first of its three new residence halls after two alumni who were remarkably dedicated to their school. Dalton-Voigt Residence Hall—which opened this past weekend for the beginning of the academic year—honors deceased alumni Steve Dalton ’83 and Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Voigt ’44. “Both Steve and Betty served their alma mater while they were students—and long after graduation,” said Kirk Purdom, vice president for advancement. “By naming the new building after them, we celebrate their lifelong commitment to Transylvania and ensure their legacy endures.” Dalton was a campus leader and a true Renaissance man, making many friends at Transylvania. As a resident advisor, he turned campus housing into a laboratory to learn about life. He went on to work in health care and finance, serving as CFO for National Medial Solutions and founding a small business, iTasker. He remained dedicated to the university as president of Phi Kappa Tau and worked with its investment club. Voigt, who loved and supported Transylvania for many years, was a nurse in Lexington and charter member of the university’s Morrison Society, which honors donors. An active volunteer for the alumni office, she worked as a Phonathon volunteer and served on her reunion planning committee. Voigt received Transylvania’s Distinguished Service Award in 2004 and the Morrison Medallion in 2012. The building named after her and Dalton stands four stories and has 72 rooms and a capacity for 144 residents. Each

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Four Transylvanians earn Fulbright grants to teach in Asia

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Three graduating Transylvania University seniors and one alumna will travel to Asia in the fall to teach English through grants from the highly competitive Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. Thomas Amburn from Fisherville, Ky., will travel to Thailand; Courtney Marshall from Louisville will go to Malaysia; Rachel Smith from Mayfield, Ky., will head to South Korea; and 2013 graduate Leslie Bartley from Bardstown, Ky., will be in India. All four of the recipients spent time abroad during their Transylvania careers studying and tutoring. They were chosen in part because of their extensive community service and campus leadership. They will teach English for the 2015-16 academic year. The Fulbright program, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, was established in 1946 by legislation introduced by Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Its purpose is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. More than 1,900 U.S. citizens will travel abroad for the 2015-16 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. Fulbright recipients Amburn participated the TUTORS (Transylvania University Tutoring Organization for Refugee Students) program and volunteered as an English conversation tutor in China, Hong Kong and Cambodia during the summers. He plans to attend medical school and eventually train aspiring physicians in rural Southeast Asia. Ambrun

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